By Wake Morley Architects

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Connection to Harringay Warehouse District

The pavilion seeks to embody the transformation in the Harringay Warehouse District which has moved from piano manufacturing in the early twentieth century to the more recent repurposing of the industrial landscape for the likes of record companies and recording studios. The shift has been from the conglomerate to the more individual expression. The pavilion picks up on piano references in its structure and canopy, linking to Harringay Warehouse District’s more distant history, whilst making space for freedom of expression – particularly focusing on public performance, reflecting the district’s more recent history.

Proposal Outline

The site narrows as it approaches the junction between Eade Road and Seven Sisters Road which suggests itself as a good entry point to the scheme. The proposal seeks to funnel people into the communal spaces of the pavilion and does this by creating a procession of portals constructed from welded mild steel box sections. A semi-permanent screen to the right of the procession will encourage transition to the larger spaces but provide glimpses of activities taking place in the more intimate and confined parts of the pavilion.
At the wide end of the site, the pavilion is capacious and opens up onto the pavement giving a street performance vibe. This area has direct visual links with a stage where live performance can take place. The design encourages spontaneous expressions of performance and opportunities for the collective or individual voice to be heard.
The organisation and repetition of the structure suggests itself for temporary sub-division, presenting opportunities for smaller performance spaces or classes that may be held.
The more intimate space at the rear of pavilion will lend itself in the evening to a bar setting with live music and congregations on the pavement margin.
In terms of construction, the design has been kept simple, utilising common and basic materials that can be relatively easily manipulated by people with basic DIY skills. The steel frame will require some expertise, but may not be beyond the scope of a local resident or employee. Whilst the materials are rudimentary and the construction process simple, the aesthetic is sophisticated, generated by a combination of the materials and the expression of repeating structure.