BENCE PAP | ARCHITECT / + PROJECTS /

Reconfiguring the pART to Whole: The Artling Pavilion

The Artling Pavilion is designed as a multi-use and highly flexible structure which may serve the needs of the institution both in its operation during exhibitions and thereafter. The concept begins by the creation of a completely neutral and minimal platform, enclosed and conditioned to provide an empty hull for which a figural architectural object will reside. This hull space, fabricated from a simple and modular construction system, is constructed of readymade standardized industrial elements, is not dissimilar to those used for outdoor events and stage set ups for performances. The figural object will be fragmented in such a way that it may operate both in its closed and open form - providing two fixed arrangements for the consumption of art and a myriad of possibilities through its open configurability.

In its closed orientation, it provides for a highly intimate and completely interiorized space for private showing and an unobstructed zone within the platform’s limits for open receptions or performances. While in its open orientation, the highly articulated objects breaks apart into a number of semi-autonomous pieces which both more than doubles the amount of display surface for larger art showings but also creates privatized pockets of space for the possibility of other programmatic needs. It will be fabricated using digital tools of design and fabrication to minimize material waste and maximize efficiency in construction.

Zones of various scales - such as the VIP dining room, the small auction room, a champagne bar, etc. - can all be easily implemented and fine-tuned in their absolute dimensions, adjusting to needs of its inhabitants at any given time. The figural objects are situated on light tracks with wheels on the floor to enable the transformation process from their open to closed stats. The architecture is reimagined, logistically speaking, almost similar to large scale pieces of urban furniture. The tabula rasa of the empty pavilion hull is thus rendered as a dynamic space; the discrete parts which create the figural object can be recomposed ad infinitum, reconfiguring the use of the space and creating smaller compartments for other uses.

Conceptually, the project relies on this notion of flexibility and adaptability to provide a burgeoning new art institution the mobility it needs.