Architecture as Interface: Interactivity and Immersion in The Digital Pavilions of ONL and NOX

The twin pavilions designed by Kas Oosterhuis and Lars Spuybroek and built in Neeltje Jans, the Netherlands, between 1994 and 1997, were emblematic of a set of conditions that emerged around the approach to interactive architecture between the first and second digital turns. Characterized by a playful atmosphere and defined by an immersive experience, the pavilions served as condensers of spatial features that influenced a cultural era and an expressive mode of architectural practice. This approach saw interactivity, emotional involvement, and the physical movement of the observer as key elements of a truly contemporary architecture that responded to the new needs of society.