HOUSE of EXTINCTion(ELEMENTS) | Masters Design Project

Site Context

The facility is situated in London, near the former home of British chemist John Newlands, who pioneered research on the periodicity of elements and formulated the periodic law for chemical elements. Positioned close to a tennis court, the research center benefits from the historical significance of Newlands’s house, which now serves as accommodation for researchers commissioned by the European Commission to compile the Critical Raw Materials list—most of which are elements from the periodic table.

On weekends, the building opens its doors to the public, transforming into a museum of extinction, where exhibitions and guided visits allow visitors to engage with the ongoing research and explore the impact of material depletion.

Design Process

This project originated from research on extinct materials, beginning with the periodic table of Critical Raw Materials. Initially, diagrams were developed to analyze and explore the properties and significance of these materials.

From this research, the Extinction Modulator was created—a device composed of data on extinct materials that generates light from darkness. Constructed from a collection of Extinct Materials diagrams, it serves as a means of communication with the future. Shadow, symbolizing extinction, plays a crucial role in this concept, revealing hidden layers of information. By creating an illusion of disappearance, shadow becomes a metaphor for loss and absence. (Access the project here: link).

The building’s design is directly influenced by the Extinction Modulator, with its form derived from sections extracted from the device, following the same narrative of extinction. The layout has been carefully planned to serve both its functions—operating as a research facility while transforming into an exhibition space on weekends. This dual purpose allows the building to be open and accessible yet evokes a sense of solemnity. Spaces range from an extinction study area, where researchers investigate vanished materials, to a capsule tower, where extinction is presented as an artistic experience for the public.

Material selection was guided by the need for longevity. The building must endure over time to communicate today’s extinction crisis to future generations. A striking contrast is created between metal and stone, representing the past and the future. Stone is used for the structural walls, designed to eventually become ruins—a testament to our past—while metal is integrated into adaptable elements that will evolve with modernization.

Throughout the building, hidden extinct elements are embedded within the walls. To connect and locate them, a fine stream of poured gallium runs through the floors, forming a map of extinction that links these elements across different spaces—through the floors, walls, and ceilings—acting as a visual and conceptual thread tying the project together.

Final Outcome

The design philosophy of this project is centered on the concept of a time capsule of extinct materials. The House of Extinction functions as a map of encrypted, vanished elements—a symbolic mine, waiting to be explored and uncovered. It is a hub for creativity and exploration, where extinction itself becomes a subject of artistic interpretation, encouraging public engagement, inquiry, and reflection. 

Functioning as a time capsule, the structure maps extinction by linking hidden elements through delicate streams of poured gallium. Archived data is stored within the facility to communicate our present extinction crisis to the future, while a capsule tower is designed to preserve and present this data in an artistic, three-dimensional form, inviting visitors to explore and understand extinction from a new perspective.

Shadow is used as a powerful metaphor for extinction. In the gallery space, shadow-based installations emphasize the theme of disappearance. The capsule tower incorporates this concept, using light displays to reveal hidden data. Light and shadow play a vital role in this project—dark spaces are designed to encode and protect archives, while illuminated areas uncover and expose concealed information.

To ensure longevity, the structure is built using durable materials, reinforcing the project’s purpose of creating an enduring architectural capsule. The contrast between stone and metal plays a crucial role in the narrative: stone embodies the past, a relic of what once was, while metal represents transformation and the evolving future.

Conclusion: More than just a building, the House of Extinction is an archive of hidden knowledge, a time capsule, and a place of imagination. Blending science, art, and architecture, it preserves extinct materials while inviting reflection on loss and renewal. Through its symbolic use of shadow, light, and hidden elements, the building serves as a living document of extinction, ensuring that what is lost is never truly forgotten.

[This Academic Project has been published with text and images submitted by the student]