James Mak (26) - UK + Alison Cheng (24) USA

An Airborne Festival
In 1910, thousands of visitors gathered in Grand Palais to the “Exposition Internationale de Locomotion Aérienne” for the first time, admiring the flying monsters that helped humankind conquer the sky. The ‘airborne mechanical locomotion’ has long been a fascination for mysterious problems and futuristic speculation.

A Transcendental Airship
Pondora - a capsule that contains all ‘evils’ of the world is Pondorly’s new addition. The gateway pays homage to the century of Industry and Science of Grand Palais’ birdcage and Eiffel Tower’s wrought iron lattice. The proposed lightweight airship is not only the testimony of the contemporary technological advancement that conquers the sky, but the psychological mastery that transcends one to a higher state of mind.

High on Air
Pondora is a lounge that specializes in vaporized alcohol. From Pondorly, guests ascend into a cloud filled with fine spirits and mixers vaporized by a powerful humidifier that super-saturate the air. The alcohol mist enters the bloodstream through the lungs. Every breath is an experience of an unparalleled taste of Paris.

Docking
The airship will be flown to site, once the helium that fills the cavity is extracted, the empty ship ‘Pondora’ will become a permanent addition to the existing building.
Pondora can be accessed from an escalator stemming from Pondorly’s second floor. The journey on the way up elevates one beyond the urban datum and offers a panorama view of Paris and of Rungis.