Canadian Biennale Pavilion — 47 Grand Ave S, Cambridge, Ontario
Comprehensive Building Design Project
Spring 2008
The Biennale Pavilion explores the juxtaposition of the familiar with the foreign. Viewed from the river, the building recalls the local vernacular of pitched roofs, humble construction, and warehouses; at oblique angles, it reveals itself to be angular and ambitious.
The main gallery volume is articulated by prefabricated plywood panels. As they weather, they create a gradient, extending the weathering of a single piece of wood over the entire gallery volume. This play on scale is also evident in the sizing of the skylights and windows and the diagonal grid of the plywood, dissolving the formal rigidity of the pavilion, creating a blurred, cloud-like structure that gracefully floats on a plinth of glass and green walls.
Ultimately, the intention is for the pavilion to strike a balance between romance and practicality, and modesty and confidence, in order to resonate with the inspirations of burgeoning cultural city.
