A TEMPORARY BEACON
Traveling Pavilion
The (G) Sphere is an interactive, nomadic pavilion structure conceived as a beacon to bring people together. The structure’s see-through skin is made up of hollow, translucent blocks alternatively stacked on top of one another. These blocks will give rise to a spectacle of natural light on the interior by day and will turn the pavilion into a glowing lantern at night. They will also allow the embedding of screens, projectors, speakers, and other media devices. Further, the see-through skin will endow the (G) Sphere with an inviting character. From the outside, one will be able to see and hear what’s happening inside; from the inside one will have a permanent—if nuanced—relationship to the surroundings and the sky. Three entrances will attract people to flow in and out, and the base of the sphere is designed to become a seating area around the interior space. Video projections will introduce new colors to the perception of the structure from the outside.
The (G) Sphere is the primary materialization of “Immigrants Are US: The (G)eneration Project,” an interdisciplinary public art conceived by the Harlem Arts Foundation and grounded in the notion that we are all immigrants. Whether refugees, asylum seekers, slaves, settlers, or indigenous, we are all fundamentally migrants of diverse generations; our similarities outweigh our differences, our collective wellbeing intrinsic to our common survival. In that regard, the pavilion’s spherical shape will easily become an imprint in anyone’s imaginary regardless of background, race, or culture. It will also attractively resonate with the different settings in which it will be erected; from urban locations to natural landscapes, from exterior to interior public spaces.
The pavilion structure will invite its publics and hosting venues to experience both its form and function, for while it engages the senses through its formal elegance and abstraction, it can also be activated as social architecture. Music, poetry, performance, live streaming—curators, artists, and community associations will be compelled to imagine and present programs and events inside the structure by responding to its presence.
A catalyst, therefore, for local actions and virtual exchanges, the (G) Sphere erases the boundaries between otherwise opposite features: very easy to assemble and take down and yet nicely crafted; temporary and yet appealing to the timelessness of a Platonic solid; enclosed and yet porous.
Ultimately, the (G) Sphere embodies the notion that our similarities (all blocks are hollow, translucent pieces) and differences (blocks are several sizes, and light conditions inside the structure will be constantly changing) can productively bond to yield unity.
PROJECT INFORMATION
Location: Multiple
Type: Traveling Pavilion
Scale: 20,44 m2 (220 SF)
Status: Ongoing
Team: José Aragüez, Ivy Hume, and Lihan Jin with Edward Hillel