By Boito Sarno Architects

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Connection to Harringay Warehouse District

The Warehouses’ roofline becomes a colourful OP ART BILLBOARD, advertising an alternative voice to sterile gentrification, by making people aware of this unique and thriving community. It says “Hey! We’re here! Come and join us!”
It’s a celebration of getting back together after the 2020 pavilion had to be cancelled.
The fence and humble materials are elevated into a piece of art and architecture, a connection to the district’s creativity and its re-use and re-invention ethics. The architecture is conceived as a series of components to be played like a musical instrument, a nod to the area‚Äôs piano manufacturing past.

Proposal Outline

The PAVILION is a cost-effective, MODULAR construction with a strong presence on the street and a flexible MULTI-FUNCTIONAL space.
For the main structure we propose to use scaffolding poles that can be either hired or bought second hand. This echoes the industrial and RE-USE approach ethics championed by the warehouse district. Scaffolding can also be easily taken down, transported and re-erected on a different site.
For the BILLBOARD we propose nine WAREHOUSE-SHAPED timber frames, which are modular so if budget is tight, they can be scaled back to, say, six and still retain a strong street presence. To attract attention, the billboard is a piece of OP ART with frames made of timber battens with each of the four sides painted in different colours that change and become visible as you walk around the pavilion. The activities inside can be glimpsed through these colourful layers creating amazing effects at night. Alternatively, the frames could be filled with nets or ropes that can be sourced from scrapyards, Gumtree or Freecycle. Both options create a surface that can become an art project for the community.
We think the existing FENCE is useful. By boosting its dynamic ever-changing effect, it as an integral feature of the OP ART BILLBOARD, creating an optical interplay with giant letters behind it, spelling WE’VE MET AGAIN & I’M FEELING GOOD, borrowing from the songs by Vera Lynn and Nina Simone. The letters are again an opportunity for the community to get involved and make something cool. Looking at the pavilion in movement from a car or a bus on the Seven Sisters road or whilst walking towards it, the letters will appear and disappear behind the fence.
Behind the billboard is a raised platform that provides a covered GALLERY along the length of the site. This can be used for many different purposes such as a bar placed between the scaffolding posts to serve food or drink. Market stalls can be placed underneath it. Or it could be used to display artwork hung from the scaffolding structure. The last bay can be used as a covered storage area.
The BALCONY above the gallery provides a raised area for spectators to look down at a performance or, the other way around, a performance could take place on the balcony with the audience below. It is also a cool space to enjoy a drink on a summer evening and look at the sunset, on the tables and chairs provided.
The STAGE is a multifunctional space at the heart of the pavilion. It is defined by a series of ropes with hanging lights. An awning can be stretched over the entire space in case of rain, for shading or to create a more intimate enclosure. This space measures 8.5 x 19 m and can be used for many different activities from workshops to markets, as a dance floor to yoga studio. Lighting and the awning are another great opportunity to design an amazing artwork with the community.