Darkest building on Earth: Asif Khan's Vantablack-coated pavilion opens for Winter Olympics

2018-02-08T14:01:00-05:00

Sprayed with Vantablack Vbx2, a pavilion at the Winter Olympics in South Korea absorbs 99% of light. [...] Lurking between the competition venues like an angular black hole, it looks like a portal to a parallel universe, waiting to suck unsuspecting ski fans into its vortex.

Photo: Luke Hayes/Hyundai

Sports fans around the world can't wait for the 2018 Pyeongchang Winter Olympics to officially open tomorrow, but there's more to the spectacle than just athletic competitions on snow and ice: London-based architect & designer Asif Khan has created the "darkest building on earth" by coating the temporary pavilion he designed for South Korean car maker Hyundai in Vantablack Vbx2, a super-black nanomaterial which absorbs more than 99% of the light that reaches its surface — the result is the visual illusion of a massive black void.

Photo: Luke Hayes/Hyundai

"It’s like a nano-scale coral reef," The Guardian quotes Ben Jensen, chief technical officer of Surrey Nanosystems, the British company which has developed the mysterious material. "Photons get into it and they bounce around within its structure until they’re all absorbed. The optical cavities in the ‘reef’ are around 1,000th the width of a human hair."

Photo: Luke Hayes/Hyundai

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Take a look at Canada's Olympic House at the 2018 PyeongChang games

2018-01-09T14:18:00-05:00

With only one month to go until the 2018 Winter Olympics officially kick off on February 9 in PyeongChang, South Korea, athletic teams from around the world prepare to represent their nations in front of an international audience. Canada isn't limiting itself to sporting competitions alone to promote all things maple leaf but just announced plans for 'Canada Olympic House,' a gathering place for the team's fans, coaches, athletes and their families & friends.

Image: Canadian Olympic Committee & Sid Lee Architecture.

Designed by Montreal-based Sid Lee Architecture in collaboration with the Canadian Olympic Committee, the 12,000-square-foot house will be located near Gangneung Olympic Park which is going to host (surprise!) the hockey competitions.

Guests can watch Team Canada compete via the CBC/Radio-Canada broadcast, kick back with some Canadian drinks and food (poutine anyone?), purchase merchandise at the retail store, and celebrate athletes and all things Team Canada at a varie...

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Darkest building on Earth: Asif Khan's Vantablack-coated pavilion opens for Winter Olympics

Take a look at Canada's Olympic House at the 2018 PyeongChang games