Sound Box: Swiss Pavilion at Hannover Expo 2000
00:46
The building was designed
specifically for the 2000 Expo in Hannover, Germany by Swiss architect Peter Zumthort.
The temporary construction was designed according to the main theme of the exhibition, sustainability. Constructed out of 144 kilometers of unseasoned wood (sustainably and responsibly harvested), with a cross section of 20x10cm, in total building consists of 45,000 boards and 2,800 cubic meters of larch and Douglas pine from Swiss forests.
The pavilion was assembled
without any glue, bolts or nails. Its 9 meter high walls divide up the internal
spaces according to a complex maze-like logic, while ceilings made of larch
beams rest on vertical beams of Scotch pine. They were held in place by steel
cables connected to spring tie rods with a minimal design ‘following the nature
of the wood as a changing, living material’. After the closure of the Expo, the
building was dismantled and the beams were sold as a seasoned timber.
The main idea for the design
was to offer something specific and useful to the Expo visitors, who would be
tired from studying all the theoretical and virtual information in the other
national pavilions. The concept was to design a welcoming place to rest and
relax, a place offering traditional Swiss snacks for thirsty or hungry
visitors, with a relaxed atmosphere and live music.
Zumhort’s main intention was to
create an ideal combination of performing art, music, drama, and decor into a
form of ‘total theater’. This effect was accomplished through the aesthetics of
the building and its structure, also as a result of the modular textures of the
continuous, regular chiaroscuro (the
treatment of light and shade in drawing and painting) effect of the wooden
boards and the gaps between them, which draw a horizontal score contradicted on
the inside by the height of the dividing walls. The result is a harmonious,
balanced architecture, in which the theme of stacked wood is a continual
reminder of the building's ephemeral vocation.
Review
by Martha Gwizda(University of Brighton): The way that the
components were placed together allows for a beautiful quality of light and
detailed composition. The space gave a sense of being handcrafted and
intimately connected with the techniques from which it was constructed and the
materials from which it was made. While visiting it was not hard to imagine the
experience of visiting the Switzerland. The smell of local food, the feeling of
raw wood and the sound of traditional music definitely helped in understanding
the major valuesof this country. The resulting structures present
us with environments where the feel, texture, colour, smell and sound of wood
are given precedence over everything else. In my opinion the only negative
thing was the fact that after six months the pavilion was demolished. Although
most of the materials were recycled, it’s sad that such a beautiful design
could not be transferred somewhere else so more people could appreciate its
fascinating interior.
0 comments