Living Pavilion

“Living Pavilion” is a low‐tech, zero‐impact structure that employs reclaimed milk crates as the framework for growing a planted “green wall” surface. The pavilion’s construction is simple and modular, relying on common materials such as heavy‐duty packaging straps and weather‐treated wood for its assembly. Erected in the courtyard of Liggett Hall for Governors Island’s summer season, the pavilion will provide refuge from the heat in a shaded environment kept cool by the evaporation from its planted surfaces. As the pavilion’s vaulted form meets the ground, it unfolds into a mat of crates planted with crops that can be harvested and distributed to the community. At the end of the season, its modular design will allow easy disassembly and distribution to the New York area for use in homes, public places, and community gardens.

The selection of “Living Pavilion” is the result of an international design competition to design and build a pavilion as a central, temporary gathering place on Governors Island. This competition is unique in that it asked designers to consider the full lifecycle of their proposals. With as little environmental impact as possible, considerations included the sourcing, materials, placement, de‐installation, and the future of the pavilion once the summer has ended.

Resource from:

Open Buildings, 2010. Living Pavilion. [online] Available from: http://openbuildings.com/buildings/living-pavilion-profile-2114# [Access date 07/12/2015]