PORTOBELLO PAVILIONDESIGNCHARRETTEREPORT

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How can a temporary space become a platform for fostering new relationships and building resilient communities? How can architecture facilitate a dialogue and stimulate new ways of working and collaboration between individuals from diverse backgrounds and with differing agendas? How can those relationships and networks develop beyond the duration of a temporary structure or a project? This was the complex brief behind this year’s Portobello Pavilion, a temporary structure designed for Powis Square in Notting Hill to house arts activities for the local community. Conceived as an informal, pop-up space, the purpose of the pavilion is to offer a space for dialogue between groups of people who do not normally have the opportunity to meet with or collaborate with practical artists.

The Museum of Architecture has worked with the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and the North Kensington community of artists to commission this year’s edition of the Portobello Pavilion that will open to the public during London Design Festival in September. The aim of the pavilion and the arts programming is to provide a platform for the community-led steering group of artists, designers and architects, who will champion and promote creativity in the North Kensington area. The pavilion serves as a model for new ways of working, collaboration and dialogue between the local community and the council, inviting a plurality of voices and narratives to lead arts initiatives and activities. Now in its fourth year, this edition of the pavilion was used to set a precedent for new ways of working and collaboration between the council and the North Kensington community, that was to be facilitated by architecture with a particular emphasis on community engagement and co-design. The project needed to show how the process of designing, as much as the final result, can be inclusive, create a sense of ownership over the space and foster positive relationships between different stakeholders.

For this reason, MoA has organised a half-day design charrette where five practices were invited to develop a design idea for the pavilion. The participating practices were The Decorators, West Port and Company, Practice Architecture, OMMX and ArchitectureDoingPlace, all chosen for their community-based approach. Following introductory presentations about the site, its rich and vibrant history, and its meaning to the local community, the architects were given one hour to develop a design idea that would be indicative of their approach to the project. Despite this limited amount of time, all five practices have developed well-defined proposals that included elements of performativity, close engagement with the local community, innovative use of materials and modular structures, as well as attentive responses to the specificity of the site.

After one hour, each design practice had the opportunity to present their project to the jury, which included representatives of the community, council, and the architecture profession. The jury was able to discuss each proposal, asking questions and building a dialogue with the participating architects, which allowed them to get a deeper insight into the creative process, debates and ways of thinking that go into such a project. Being involved in the selection process and engaging in a dialogue with the architects allowed the local community to feel included and take ownership of the project from the outset.

Portobello PavilionCompetition report Design charrette18 July 2018, 3.30 – 7.30pmThe Tabernacle, 34-35 Powis Square, London W11 2AY

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The aim of the pavilion and the arts programming is to provide a platform for the community-led steering group of artists, designers and architects, who will champion and promote creativity in the North Kensington area. The pavilion will serve as a model for new ways of working, collaboration and dialogue between the local community and the council, inviting a plurality of voices and narratives to lead arts initiatives and activities.

The pavilion needed to reflect two main themes. The first is the historical and geographical context of the pavilion, with the rich history of Powis Square that carries important meaning for the local community. The second theme is sustainability and healthy spaces, with the design integrating an element of greenery or plants that will be supplied in-kind by a local nursery. The proposals also needed to consider the possibility of a flexible or modular design that can be taken down easily and transported to other locations across to borough, where it will be used for other programming and create a sense of continuity for the community. The material for the pavilion is supplied in-kind by Finsa, a company specialising in the production of MDF and particleboard. In terms of size, the structure needed to provide an open space with a classroom capacity of 40.

Each design proposal presented a strong emphasis on community engagement, together with interesting use of Finsa’s modular material and attentive responses to the site and its everyday use. Some practices integrated collaborative ways of working for the outset, bringing in multidisciplinary approaches to the team, while others focused more on the possibility of using flat-pack elements and the engagement with local residence for the build of the pavilion. The judging panel has selected ArchitectureDoingPlace as the winning practice for their sensitive approach to the local context and attention to the rich history of Powis Square.

ArchitectureDoingPlaceArchitectureDoingPlace have focused their proposal on working with the local community, with particular attention towards the complex history of the site. The practice has based its proposal around fostering relationships with the residents, engaging them through dialogue and co-design approaches, and a participatory practice in the construction of the pavilion. The pavilion itself is shaped almost as a domestic space, with an inhabited threshold, a terrace and the central space – the heart of the project – that builds a dialogue between inside and outside, the surrounding park and the structure. The pavilion proposes to integrate elements of the playground into the structure, while providing a multipurpose space where different programming events could happen simultaneously, enriching the offer to the local community. ArchitectureDoingPlace will now work with the local stakeholders to finalise their proposal and build the pavilion.

OMMX

Design brief

Design proposals

Winnng proposal

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OMMX have proposed a design made of standardised panels that would interlock to create structural modules for the pavilion. The interlocking panels would function almost like flat-pack furniture, which would allow easy assembly by people with little building skills, offering an opportunity to engage with the local community during the build of the pavilion. The interlocking modules have an integrated bench both in the inside and outside of the structure, so that the pavilion is connected to the surrounding space, collapsing the difference between inside and outside. The jury was impressed by the design thinking behind the proposal, with the modularity responding to both the technical and collaborative demands of the project.

Practice ArchitecturePractice Architecture have collaborated with the Office For Crafted Architecture and Finn Beames, a theatre practitioner, to develop their proposal. With an emphasis on performativity, a listening project with the local community formed the starting base of their project. After gathering the residents’ narratives through listening and dialogue, they proposed developing a script for a theatre performance that would generate the structure of the pavilion through interactive engagement with the space. Their final design proposed using modular panels for a vaulted space with flexible furniture which would change during the 10 days to accommodate different types of activities.

West Port and CompanyWest Port and Company used a cube module – a structural element suggested by Finsa and made with their materials – as the starting point for their project. Their design was oriented particularly towards performance, with a large open space as the core of the pavilion, surrounded by modular seating elements on both sides. The modular elements were conceived as a starting point for a dynamic, flexible space that could be changed and reconfigured based on the needs of the programme. The theatre-like space, with rows of modular seating, opened-up towards the public providing a space for dialogue and debate, as much as performance-based arts activities.

The Decorators The Decorators have approached the pavilion with a keen eye towards the local residents, their narratives and needs beyond the duration of the project itself. They have questioned the very concept of the temporary pavilion, seeking to develop a proposal that would integrate with the overall landscape of Powis Square and improve the park beyond the duration of the festival. Their proposal included dislocated elements, each of which would fulfil a specific need in terms of programming – seating, tables, stage, etc. – while also providing playful, dynamic additions to the park landscape.

Other proposals

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Suzel Pitty, Head of Culture, RBKCPiers Thompson, steering groupToby Laurent Benson, steering group Lynda Rossenior-Patten, steering groupRafal Willisch, Managing Director, FinsaRob Fiehn, architectural communications consultant and MoA board member Tyen Masten, Director, Phase3 Architecture and MoA board member

The Museum of Architecture (MoA) is a charity that helps the public engage with architecture and supports architects to be more entrepreneurial. MoA provides opportunities for architects to collaborate with other industries and communities to be better informed about the places and people for which they are designing.MoA has been a pop-up museum for twelve years and positions itself as a place where people come to learn about what is currently happening in architecture through exhibitions, events, talks, and public installations. MoA’s programming provides insightful information for both the public and architects alike, linking architecture to contemporary culture to make it accessible to all.www.museumofarchitecture.org

Finsa is a leading company in the manufacture of wood-based panels, offering solutions for industrial, structural and decorative applications. Finsa works close to the creative industry, by collaborating with designers and architects and supporting initiatives that promote innovation in the sector. Thanks to continuous research, their range of special products does not stop growing, thus offering more and more innovative solutions and products.www.finsa.com

For more information about the project, please contact:

Museum of Architectureinfo@museumofarchitecture.orgwww.museumofarchitecture.org

Charrette Jury

About MoA

About Finsa – Project sponsor

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