By Pablo Lionti and Sabrina Tamashiro ( aporia ) ARCHITECTURE, and Felix Raspall (AIR Lab)
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Connection to Harringay Warehouse District
The Art Cathedral is inspired by the Harringay Warehouse District of the first years of the 20th century, emphasizing its role as the main center of Piano Manufacturing in the United Kingdom. It aligns with the self-build / self-development stimulus that identifies the unique Spirit of Community that makes up the Harringay Warehouse District.
As a result, we seek to rescue and revalue the highly dynamic energy of the area resulting from the clash of differences as an incubator cluster for “make of” applied to the arts and design.
Proposal Outline
Our pavilion design proposal is guided by two metaphors.
On the one hand, takes the Piano Sonic Machine understanding that this instrument is a perfect balance between engineering + art. A Grand Piano offers almost infinite musical combinations, differentiating itself from other musical instruments. Our design proposes almost infinite combinations in its completion. Like an Open Canvas, the pavilion feels and is intentionally incomplete, looking for artists to use the frames and wireframes as canvas for artistic/creative vernacular interventions. So we expect Harringay Warehouse District Community to understand our design proposal for its aesthetic versatility, as a composer sees its piano.
On the other hand, we take inspiration from English Gothic Architecture and its industrial neos, understanding as a perfect gathering space, open to the community through translucent, generous surfaces and as a place for creation and recreation. We aim to support, communicate and expand the values of Harringay way of life.
The morphology of the pavilion is a simple gesture of unfolding the outline of the plot, reinterpreting the iconic warehouse architecture with distinct triangular profiles. This results in a cluster of reinterpreted warehouses modules tightly packed together, which can work as individual spaces for parallel activities, or combined as a single large atrium.
Additionally, the central space has a lower ceiling waterproofed to allow close/covered activities. Light, color and shadow plays refer back to vitraux gothic architectures.
Regarding technical/constructive topic, the pavilion is designed to being built with reused materials or discarded materials. The Main Structural Frames are made of recycled steel profiles, so it would be useful to recruit metalworker artisan to assist in the assembly of the structure. The wires within main frame will be made from reclaimed electrical wires from salvage yards. Hoping to received different artistical interventions of Harringay Warehouse Community, or else otherwise, will be intervened the surfaces with scrap material in geometrical disposition. When the pavilion is disassembled, the materials will be returned to scrapyards.