S3_Exhibition Pavilion Detached from MARQ_Emile Zola Square

1 / Site (working with the existing / pushing boundaries):

Located on Emile Zola Square, across from the Roger Quilliot Art Museum and the tramway passage, the site has several underutilized features: a partitioned park, a private esplanade, and two parking lots. Our approach seeks to push the boundaries of this familiar space, transforming it into an urban breathing space by de-artificializing the grounds.

2 / Intent (discretion / integration):

The pavilion adopts a discreet architecture, nestled between two wooden walls and two stone walls, inspired by Souto de Moura’s Casa Moledo. Its integration into the scale of the park and social housing is enhanced by placement within an urban forest, complemented by a green roof.

3 / Thickness:

The thickness between the wall and the glass façade creates a blurred boundary between interior and exterior, contributing to a luminous and pleasant ambiance year-round.

4 / Atmospheres (threshold, zenithal opening, diffuse light, floor texture):

The thickness influences the ambiance by offering a three-step transition—exterior, ambiguous, interior. The recessed glass façade ensures consistent luminosity, and a zenithal opening serves as an entry threshold into a darker zone.

5 / Park and Pathways:

Park access remains open to preserve the landscape. The pathway to the pavilion follows the wall, beginning with a paved area, passing through an urban forest, and ending in an urban grove through the pavilion’s thickness.

6 / Structure / Materiality:

The building’s simple structure relies on purlins between two stone walls and a concrete wall, supporting a green roof. A cemented U-beam keeps the beams spaced at 50 cm, capable of supporting the 350 kilograms per square meter of the green roof.