LATITUDE was commissioned by Beijing Financial Street Mall in collaboration with Better Homes And Gardens magazine to design a pavilion capable of holding outdoor spring-themed cultural activities.The Spring Pavilion aims to immerse urbanites in the mood of spring: with a common platform and five different rooms, the pavilion is an open area defined by structures made of wood, steel and plastic film. Reflecting the configuration of a city, every path in between rooms leads to the central square, the “Agora”. This central space is where concerts, conferences and events will take place in April 2016.
Our design allows movement, outdoor performances and exhibition activities through the spaces provided by paths, the Agora and the rooms respectively. At the center, the Agora itself represents the heart and soul of the pavilion; the place where all visitors come across and main performances take place.Plants delimit the Agora as well as the surrounding paths. The paths’ concrete flooring contrasts with the wooden chips panels used for the rooms. The same material has been used for the furniture –benches and flowerpots–, installed in the Agora.
The gray tones of concrete and the brown texture of the wooden chips panels are balanced by a white tubular structure found at the rooms’ ceilings, also topped with a semi-transparent white film.Overall, we have been endeavored to create a peaceful, cozy respite, using minimalist elements and the purest of color palettes. In contrast, the colorful plants and visitors bring vitality and dynamism to the pavilion.
Project Info:
Architect: LATITUDE Architects
Location: Beijing, China
Discipline: Architecture,Exhibition,Landscape
Program: Cities,Individual Buildings,Parks/Gardens
Construction year: 2016
Isabelle Laurent is a Built Projects Editor at Arch2O, recognized for her editorial insight and passion for contemporary architecture. She holds a Master’s in Architectural Theory from École Nationale Supérieure d’Architecture de Paris-Belleville. Before joining Arch2O in 2016, she worked in a Paris-based architectural office and taught as a faculty adjunct at the École Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris. Isabelle focuses on curating projects around sustainability, adaptive reuse, and urban resilience. With a background in design and communication, she brings clarity to complex ideas and plays a key role in shaping Arch2O’s editorial