The location for the 11th edition of Manifesta (11th June-18th Sep. 2016) -a German biennial of art- will be marked by the creation of ETH students; a floating structure titled ‘The Pavilion of Reflections’. The design was chosen on a competitive based upon the requirements of the curator  Christian Jankowski; to create a floating multi-functional platform with a giant led screen, a stand for spectators & a swimming pool to be used by day while at night ‘it will be a venue to reflect on the artworks presented’ he says. With its entertaining activities, the project will act as a meeting point for both participants and spectators; throughout the 100 days of the exhibition, it will be the centerpiece of Manifesta to discuss artworks from the biennial. The Pavilion will reflect the vision of the curator; ‘The fact that art reception is based thoroughly in the senses will be further amplified by the fact that the site of reflection is floating on the water without firm ground, exposed to the sun and rain.’ Says Christian Jankowski. Constructions of the project will be fabricated by the students and led by Tom Emerson design studio, using solely wood construction material, creating a live space on the surface of Zurich lake. “the nature of the pavilion has been largely determined by the collective way the students work and the co-ordination that this requires. Following a competition among the students, the most promising ideas were selected and developed. Different groups have worked at different scales—from the integration of the pavilion into the city of Zurich and the lake basin, to 1:1 prototypes—in order to combine the various design, technical and organizational dimensions of the project into a multifaceted and achievable architectural plan” says Boris Gusic of Tom Emerson studio. This pavilion will be the latest, most ambitious addition to Tom Emerson design studio’s series of collaborative design and build projects. A great motivational realistic project for ETH Masters students which most schools lack; hence every student participating will be expected to write a thesis on a subject from the collaborative work elaborated.
Courtesy of Studio Tom Emerson
By Yosra Abdel-Rahman
