Created for SXSW, 3M LifeLab transforms material innovation into an immersive spatial experience. Rather than presenting products as isolated objects, the pavilion allows visitors to encounter the behavior of 3M materials at full architectural scale, using light, reflection, and movement as primary design tools.

At the center of the pavilion is a kaleidoscopic interior defined by 3M’s dichroic film, laminated across a modular ceiling system. As sunlight filters through the tent and visitors move beneath it, the film refracts light into shifting spectrums that recalibrate with time of day, angle, and proximity. The space never appears the same twice, turning circulation into an active component of perception.

Below, interior surfaces are clad in glossy white Di-Noc, a 3M architectural finish that captures and redistributes colored light from above. Walls, display elements, and the bar become reflective participants in the lighting system, extending the ceiling’s effects into the full volume of the pavilion and producing a layered atmospheric condition rather than a fixed interior.

The exterior introduces a contrasting condition. A custom skin composed of triangular panels made from Scotchlite fabric wraps the pavilion, creating a faceted surface that retroreflects light. One of the first architectural-scale applications of the material, the skin transforms the pavilion into a luminous object within the SXSW landscape.

The structure is fully modular, constructed from aluminum pipe connected by more than 1,200 custom 3D-printed joints and assembled using over 3,000 3M cable ties. Designed for rapid deployment and reversibility, the system aligns fabrication logic with the innovation on display.

Through light, material, and modularity, 3M LifeLab operates as a walk-through demonstration rather than an exhibition. Material performance becomes architecture, and architecture becomes a lens through which innovation is experienced—felt through movement, atmosphere, and change rather than explanation.

Find out more about the process:
Joint automation
3D printed snap fit joints
Photos of the installation