Antepavilion

Londra, 2019 

Bunker arc
with Matteo Donghi, Marco Tomasi and Chiara Toscani 

Project type: competition inviting ideas

Developer: private

 

 

The flat roofs of Brunswick and Columbia Wharf have evolved from a barren industrial surface into a varied cultural landscape, populated by previous years’ antepavillions, and playing hosts to a number of social events.
Such rich landscape is however lacking the visual prominence needed to extend its visibility beyond the immediate surroundings.
The proposal turns the existing building into a focal point for the entire area, making it visible from the towpath in both directions, as well as from the surrounding road network.

The pavilion is made of two simple elements:
support structure and moving light source.

The support structure is made of three steel lattice surfaces, slightly angled for structural stability.
Each of the squares defined by the orthogonal metalwork structure features a reflective sheet loosely hanging from the horizontal bars.

The hollow volume of the tower stretches into the sky like a wind tower, the dangling metal sheets catching the light as they dance in the wind.
The support is therefore a device that responds to the weather conditions, manifesting and multiplying the effects of light and air throughout the structure.