Project: Timber Pavilion
Date: 2022
Location: N/A
Scale: Small

A small timber pavilion located in an imaginary forest provides a space “to think” for visitors. The structure utilizes square-cut logs spanning the width of the pavilion, stacked atop one another on either side to form a Jenga-like system in which geometry and gravity act as joints. The bidirectional orientation of the tessellated logs and resulting gaps produces a seemingly chaotic grid, whose rigid geometry generates a soft and diffused atmosphere that subverts expectations.

The pavilion development was split into two stages. The first focused on form, experience, and visuals to host the action “to think,” without material constraints. In the second stage, timber was assigned and the design adapted accordingly, introducing the recurring trio of “concept, method, and material” within my design approach. From the outset, the thinking chamber was placed at the deepest point of the structure and concealed from the entrance. A grid-wall organized what would otherwise be an anarchic pile of logs; despite its rigid outline, the careful positioning of beams and gaps allowed daylight to penetrate, guide movement, and frame the sky while blocking other direct light. The rectangular timber elements enabled the pavilion to be formalized without additional materials, relying solely on gravity and friction, and the successful integration of these dynamics intensified the intended effect of the pavilion.