A pavilion that travels to the future transformed into three hundred benches
We work backward, from the future to the present, to imagine how an information pavilion can hold meaning for the future of San Sebastián. We designed a pavilion composed of 278 “bow-tie” benches, featuring metal frames and wooden seats, assembled to shape the space. The metal legs of the benches form a three-dimensional structure and provide support for the waterproof fabric that creates the canopy.
After its dismantling, these benches will become a new line of urban furniture for San Sebastián, to be distributed across streets and squares starting in January 2017.
Designing a pavilion from benches reflects an ecological approach, not only in terms of material reuse and process optimization but also from the perspective that architecture becomes more sustainable when it positively impacts more people. Our goal is for the pavilion to enable many individuals to transform their daily lives through it. Even if you are a citizen of San Sebastián who never uses the pavilion’s services or participates in the cultural capital activities promoted there, its construction will still provide you with a future service in the form of urban furniture.
The dismantling of the DSS2016 pavilion is not carried out conventionally. The process of disassembling the pavilion into benches, their distribution, and the decision about their next destination requires a structured plan. This plan involves collaboration with local agents, associations, technicians, and public administration to determine which spaces or institutions will receive what one day constituted the walls, floors, and roof of the pavilion.