Enfold Pavilion: A Serene Soundscape at Wonderfruit Festival

Designed by Imaginary Objects, the Enfold Pavilion is a contemplative retreat within Thailand’s vibrant Wonderfruit Festival, blending architecture, sound, and natural materials into a unique immersive experience. Completed in 2023, this 225 m² pavilion transforms the typical festival environment into a calming space for relaxation, reflection, and connection with ambient music and nature.

A Courtyard of Focused Experience

The pavilion adopts a courtyard typology, creating a walled space that separates visitors from the festival's energetic surroundings. This square courtyard, measuring 15x15 meters, is accessible through small openings on each side, guiding the audience toward a central listening area. A covered walkway runs along the perimeter, with speakers mounted in a carefully designed 360-degree surround sound system, allowing over 20 speakers to deliver an immersive sonic environment. The open-air center invites visitors to gaze at the sky while fully engaging with the performance.

Thoughtful Materials and Construction

Enfold Pavilion emphasizes sustainable, natural materials. The walls employ an ancient wattle-and-daub technique, where a mud-cement mix is applied to a woven lattice and left to dry, producing a tactile, earthy texture. The roof is constructed from bamboo and supports thin plastic sheets to shield audiovisual equipment from rain while maintaining an open view of the sky. This thoughtful combination of traditional techniques and modern function ensures the pavilion harmonizes with its natural surroundings.

Immersive Comfort and Atmosphere

Comfort and atmosphere were integral to the design. Instead of traditional seating, visitors are provided with mats and pillows, encouraging them to lie down, relax, and immerse themselves in the soundscape. Wicker lamps along the courtyard perimeter subtly illuminate the boundary, drawing attention to the starry sky above and enhancing the contemplative experience. The result is a pavilion that encourages extended engagement with music and a temporary retreat from the festival’s excitement.

Architectural Vision

Lead architects Yarinda Bunnag and Roberto Requejo Belette, together with engineering support from Banjerd Atelier, envisioned Enfold as more than a festival pavilion: it is a spatial experiment in sound, light, and materiality. Every element, from the courtyard dimensions to the material palette, is carefully orchestrated to elevate sensory experience while maintaining minimal environmental impact.

Enfold Pavilion stands as a compelling example of contemporary festival architecture, seamlessly integrating immersive sound design, natural building methods, and meditative spatial planning.

All photographs are works of  Jinnawat Borihankijanan