As dwellers of big cities, we tend to be dragged into a very fast-paced lifestyle. Surrounded by monumental buildings and infrastructure, we can easily lose sight of key spaces that connect us with our neighborhood and provide us with rare moments of peace and enjoyment. Appropriation of the environment we inhabit becomes an uncommon circumstance.
The need for human-scale structures is fundamental in cities where public spaces are sometimes overlooked or misused. To foster civic participation, recreation, socialization, and overall, making the city more livable and enjoyable for its citizens, relatively small public landmarks generate opportunities for users to interact with the surrounding space in various ways. To create these discoveries, one common and easy resource used has been the creation of simple pavilions or installations, seizing the attention of passersby, on their scale.
Whether it is a performance stage, an artistic interactive installation, or a pavilion with a social purpose, all of these projects selected are an invitation to open up the space for users, creating outdoor encounters and fostering human interactions.
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Revitalized Public Spaces: Fostering Human Connections in CitiesCultural and educational pavilions
These are structures created to promote cultural and educational exchanges within the community.
The Yellow Pavilion / Architecture for Humans
Sikbang Maru Pavilion / one-aftr
BEHIND the SCENES Pavilion / LIJO RENY architects
Artistic and performance structures
Structures blending art and architecture, these pavilions function as quiet retreats and performance surfaces in parks or public plazas.
Rounds Theater Pavilion / SPORTS
Ripple Pavilion / Atelier Chang
Encounter Iced Sound Pavilion / rotative studio
Social gathering spaces
These projects aim to provide spaces for taking a break from work, informal gatherings, and small social events, generating common grounds for collective use.
Timber Dome / Tham & Videgård
Kotakrat Pavilion / PARISAULI ARSITEK STUDIO
8-23-VI Pavilion / Medium
Olevodroom Pavilion / Decoratelier Jozef Wouters
Situaciones de Estar Pavilion / Veintedoce Arquitectura
Volvo Circle Pavilion / Studio Heech
Mobile Pavilion / prototype + Sets Studio
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on October 23, 2020, and updated on May 31st, 2024.