Creating an invigorating and playful spatial experience through design. Amidst the dense landscape of Villa Medici, between the tall maritime pines, at the center of Rome, now lies a helical wooden marvel. A 6.5-meter high spiral concentric wooden structure, which goes by the name- Pavilion Let’s Play! Designed by French architectural firm DREAM, this sensory retreat is being erected out of 44m3 french pine. This enables the structure to store around 40 tonnes of carbon dioxide, thus reducing the emission of greenhouse gases and minimizing the structure’s carbon footprint.
While the parametric twists and turns, the double curve of the upper ribbon is a technical marvel, the use of pine as material showcases the material and environment-friendly efforts. While during the day it functions as an open-air space for sports and artistic performances at night the lit concentric forms make it look like a lantern, an illuminating sculpture between the dark forest. Thus, it is apparent that the Pavillion not only excels in functionality and performance but also is an aesthetic retreat.
A Sensory Vibe
The double curve adds more depth to the design. The spiral form helps the visitor along the open palisade, revealing the landscape in the backdrop through the perforations between the wooden posts. Moreover, the palisades are concentric and become denser, thereby blurring the boundaries between the exterior and the interior. Furthermore, the series of posts give rise to a kinetic effect, making the pavilion to in a way vibrate. The use of wood evokes a unique sensory experience through the smell of wood, giving out a feeling of playing amidst the forest and enticing the users to experience the space through the touch and feel of the material.
The central area at the core of the pavilion is metaphoric of a large open window giving out a fresh view of the open wide sky. This central space acts as a source of natural light. A play of light and shadow is staged with the movement of the sun as the day progresses. Moreover, as night falls, the pavilion turns into a sculptural lantern, giving a feeling that the structure is floating through the vast gardens.
A Playful Vibe
An adventurous space for play, sports, and artistic performances. The inner core is being installed with basketball nets at varying levels, along with the football nets. The central courtyard space offers everyone in varied age groups an immersive experience to assemble, play, and experience the energetic vibe of the structure. The structure in its form breaks the monotony of sports by bringing in an open, seamless zone for visitors to relive the moment and experience the play of space in the true sense. The pavilion will also host artistic performances during the Nuit des Cabanes event to be held on 25 June 2022.
Ecological design
Other than being built of French pine and the ability to displace and reduce embodied carbon, the design also focuses on adaptability to varied surroundings. The pavilion is designed to be mobile in nature and can be fully deconstructed and easily re-assembled when needed. The parametric design allows the numbering of 316 poles for efficient installation and optimized cutting of the CLT floor and the poles. This enables a 20% saving in materials thereby facilitating the reuse of cuts from the wooden poles. Pavilion Let’s Play! is more than just an installation, it is a sensory vibe; one that evokes an invigorating, playful experience, thus, leaving the users in awe.
Project Info:
Architects: DREAM.Archi
Location: Roma, Italy
Year: 2022
Photographs: M3 Studio, Daniele Molajoli
Design Team : Daniele Bobbio, Juliette Bonnamy, Emmanuelle Echassoux, Nils Gallon, Dimitri Roussel, Giovanni Salvador, Benedetta Vittozzi.
Manufacture And Execution : Lifteam – Loïc de Bel Air, Lionel Demay, Guillaume Vanheule
Production: Association Rêve
Assembly: DREAM and Lifteam
Collaborators: Piveteau, Groupe CBS-Lifteam, Rothoblaas
Dimensions: 13.5 x 13.5 x (h)6.5 m
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