The Serralves Foundation promoted a competition for an itinerary pavilion to host art exhibitions and performances in different locations. The program includes a flexible structure that might assume different dimensions (from 200 m2 to 600 m2) that should be able to be repeatedly assembled, disassembled, and stored. Within these requests, we assumed three factors as the leading forces of design: to guarantee the structural resistance of the pavilion after several assemblies; to find the cheapest solution for the pavilion storage (when the pavilion is not in use, it shouldn’t represent any cost); and finally, to provide the same physical conditions as a permanent museum, safely keeping the art pieces on display.
Our proposal consists of a group of concrete pieces, including the insulation layer as well as all the technical wiring, composing modules that are connected to each other and flexibly displayed, creating buildings with different shapes and dimensions according to the specific needs of each exhibition.
These modules have three different sizes, allowing them to be stored inside each other as a matryoshka, occupying a reduced space. Considering the rough composition of the modules, they are able to be stored anywhere, including on the exterior, without needing a warehouse, reducing the storage costs to zero. All the pieces were calculated and designed with specific dimensions to allow easy transportation and effective assembly. It ensures not just the building’s feasibility in constructive terms but also the economic and technical viability of the assembly or disassembly process.
