Organic Growth Pavilion by Madrid-based office Izaskun Chinchilla Architects is one of the two finalists of this year’s City of Dreams Competition. The colorful installation, inspired by the hydrangea flower, was built with used umbrellas, bicycles, ropes and other scrap parts, and it works as a social and cultural attraction for New York City’s Governor’s Island during the summer season.
Photography by © Sergio Reyes
The structure of the canopy is inspired by nature – more specifically by the morphology of the hydrangea. The architects believe that nature’s adaptability should be an organic growth model for New York’s dynamic urban pace – one that can be applied on social, economical and ecological levels. This belief is also reflected by the participatory construction process and the life cycle of the pavilion itself, at the same time complying with the brief of the competition.
Photography by © Sergio Reyes
In this sense, a successful crowd funding campaign was launched on kickstarter. The materials – recycled umbrellas and bicycle parts – were donated and recovered from several local institutions focused on recycling. These can be dismantled once summer is over and serve a different function. “We think reusing isolated elements is much more viable than reusing the pavilion as a whole and that’s also why our design is formed by self supported smaller units”, the practice mentions.
Photography by © Sergio Reyes
The competition was organized by cultural organisation Figment, the AIA’s Emerging New York Architects Committee and the Structural Engineers Association of New York. This year’s edition had a premiere, as the jury came to the decision of picking not one, but two winners: Growth Pavilion and Oyster Pavilion by NYC’s BanG Studio. Both are open and can be visited throughout the summer season, on Governor’s Island. They stand as wonderful community-based projects and great examples of recycling in art.
Photography by © Sergio Reyes
By: Ana Cosma
