Sky Pavilion

Competition 2014   London England

Inspired by the geometric motif that adorns the entry to the V&A Museum of Childhood, the 2015 Triumph Pavilion manifests as a monolith occupying the small clearing in the adjacent Museum Gardens. Circumnavigating the garden’s paths, visitors encounter passages at the Northwest and Southeast corners. Entry into the pavilion is meant to be a palate cleanse of the senses, where light is reduced, views out obscured, white noise filtered and the intimate sound of compacted gravel underfoot amplified. Turning the corner, the pavilion guests are confronted with the ‘Sky Aperture’ a lens towards the heavens, creating an expansive landscape through the use of 2 way mirrors lining the interior heart of the pavilion. Benches on either side allow for rest and contemplation of the view. Afterwards one can exit as they entered or leave along the opposite path.

 

Designed as a kit of repeating parts and laid out along a 1270mm grid, the pavilion is assembled from a series of prefabricated panels and precut wood lumber delivered to the site and erected with a minimum construction team. Each shop fabricated panels consist of 12mm thick x 1220 wide stained WBP plywood and backed with 50 x 100 wood frame. Panels are through bolted together on site with a 50 x 75 wood spacer in between. Two layers of 50 x 100 bracing at each gridline, tie the outer facade with the inner courtyard walls, forming a rigid structure. 200mm of the garden’s turf and top soil is removed to create a 7620 x 7620 square void in the grass. Galvanized steel base brackets are anchored to treated 100 x 100 sill plates acting as the foundation for the pavilion. Crushed gravel is backfilled over the scar and sill plates to create the pavilion floor. The prefabricated wall panels are bolted to the base brackets, allowing an easy installation and later decommissioning of the pavilion.