2021 Palantir Pavilion by Malati Vasudevan

The project premise for our technical design studio was to design a pavilion for our client, Palantir, at the World Economic Forum in 2021. Without interfering too much with the envelope of the pavilion, (it is built as a kit of parts), our aim was to create a design experience that would be in line with Palantir’s 2021 WEC goals.

For this space, the design intent was to deliver a unique environment that would visually and experientially leave a lasting impression on the visitors. The attention to detail in every aspect of the design serves to underline Palantir’s image as the industry leader, providing a holistically impeccable product and service. The space will be designed as a pipeline to attract high-caliber clients and impactful connections. The overall design and the resulting environment should reflect Palantir as the only player of significance within their field that can deliver the services and products that clients require.

Palantir’s branding and philosophy played a crucial role in the development of this project. I wanted to showcase how the design, with careful and intentional use of color/pattern, texture, material, and finishes can allude to the business practice, service, and product that Palantir offers. Data is not black and white, and it’s what Palantir deals with on a daily basis and it is the crux of their business. Making sense of, sometimes, an infinite level of data and information is a daunting task, and to successfully filter the necessary from the redundant or seemingly useless ones is one of the many key things that Palantir does.

I see the same relationship in choosing color/pattern, texture, and material. The goal was to establish a relationship between the design of the space and the data that Palantir works with. In order to tie in the complexity of data to the design, I stayed away from a simplistic monochromatic design and opted for selections that would offer more depth and dialogue. Palantir’s success has been their keen attention to detail, their ability to distill the most important information, and most importantly, their ability to weave together seemingly disparate and nuanced data sets into a cohesive story and conclusion for their clients. The goal was to achieve the same relationship and impact within the pavilion. Where at a bigger scale perspective everything can be read cohesively but on a closer look there is a level of complexity and diversity within the color/pattern, texture, material, and finish choices.