Year
2016
Program
Cultural
Surface
230 m² int + 192 m² ext
Set in the heart of Weimar’s Park an der Ilm, this commemorative pavilion celebrates 100 years of Bauhaus with a bold yet respectful gesture: a floating wooden box that echoes both modernist ideals and contemporary architectural experimentation, reminiscent of London’s Serpentine Pavilions.
Elevated above the meadow on two elegant V-shaped steel beams, the structure hovers lightly, creating a striking contrast with the surrounding landscape. Visitors access the pavilion via an exterior staircase that leads to the upper level, where they are welcomed by a spacious exhibition hall and a small café offering panoramic views of the park.
This minimal yet sculptural intervention becomes a contemplative and social space—an architectural homage to Bauhaus’ spirit of innovation, clarity, and connection between art and technology.
Above the four V-shaped steel beams—two visible in the landscape and two integrated into the stairwell core—the entire wooden volume is supported by a continuous structural system composed of a zigzag timber truss. This truss is not an arbitrary formal gesture but a deliberate echo of the pavilion’s interior floor plan: its angular geometry maps directly onto the spatial layout, following the alignment of walls and circulation paths.
The zigzag configuration serves multiple purposes: structurally, it distributes loads evenly across the V-beams; spatially, it defines and shelters the main exhibition hall and the adjoining café. The structure becomes an architectural double—a wooden skeleton that holds up the building while visually narrating its internal organization.
The pavilion is enveloped by a dynamic shading system composed of lamellar panels that stretch from beam to beam across the building’s façades. These slender, modular elements operate both as environmental filters and as formal extensions of the structural grid, creating a rhythmic articulation of light and shadow.
Designed to respond to solar exposure throughout the day, the louvers expand or retract to modulate interior light levels and thermal comfort. Their configuration can be adjusted manually by the user, or autonomously via integrated solar sensors that track the sun’s trajectory. This dual-mode operation allows the building to adapt passively to changing conditions while offering service direct control over the spatial experience.
Beyond their functional role, the lamellae reinforce the pavilion’s architectural narrative—linking structure, envelope, and climate responsiveness into a single, coherent system.