THE VÄXT PAVILION STANDS AS A HARMONIOUS INTERSECTION OF NATURE AND ARCHITECTURE, EMBODYING A VISION THAT INTERTWINES URBAN SPACES WITH THE ORGANIC BEAUTY OF A FARMER'S FEED PLOT. DERIVED FROM THE SWEDISH WORD FOR "GROWTH," VÄXT EPITOMIZES A DYNAMIC AND SUSTAINABLE STRUCTURE THAT INVITES BOTH PEOPLE AND WILDLIFE INTO AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE OF DIVERSE FLORA.
DESIGN CONCEPT:
THE PAVILION'S CONCEPTUAL GENESIS REVOLVES AROUND THE METICULOUS ARRANGEMENT OF HUNDREDS OF RECTANGULAR PREFABRICATED POTS, EACH HOUSING A UNIQUE SELECTION OF PLANTS. THESE PLANTERS ARE STRATEGICALLY POSITIONED BASED ON THE ORIENTATION OF THE SPECIFIC PLANT TOWARDS THE SUN, CREATING A ROOFSCAPE THAT DYNAMICALLY EVOLVES WITH THE PLAY OF LIGHT AND SHADOW THROUGHOUT THE DAY. THE FORM OF THE PAVILION IS ANCHORED IN AN UNDULATING INFINITY STRIP, WHICH NOT ONLY PROVIDES A VISUALLY ENGAGING ROOFSCAPE BUT ALSO SERVES AS A GATEWAY, INVITING VISITORS TO EXPLORE THE VIBRANT WORLD BENEATH THE PLANTS.
PARAMETRIC STRATEGY:
THE ESSENCE OF VÄXT LIES IN ITS PARAMETRIC DESIGN STRATEGY, ORCHESTRATED THROUGH PREFABRICATED PAINTED ALUMINUM PLANTERS. THESE PLANTERS ARE NOT MERELY FUNCTIONAL CONTAINERS BUT SERVE AS INTEGRAL COMPONENTS OF A DYNAMIC AND ADAPTABLE SYSTEM. THE PARAMETRIC NATURE OF THE DESIGN ALLOWS FOR PRECISION IN THE ARRANGEMENT OF PLANTERS, ENSURING OPTIMAL EXPOSURE TO SUNLIGHT FOR EACH SPECIES. ASSEMBLED ON-SITE, THESE PLANTERS COME TOGETHER TO FORM AN INTRICATE TAPESTRY OF COLORS, TEXTURES, AND FORMS, FOSTERING A SENSE OF UNITY WITH THE NATURAL ENVIRONMENT.
ASSEMBLY AND CONSTRUCTION:
VÄXT'S CONSTRUCTION PROCESS IS A TESTAMENT TO EFFICIENCY AND SUSTAINABILITY. THE USE OF PREFABRICATED ELEMENTS MINIMIZES ON-SITE DISRUPTION, ALLOWING FOR A SWIFT AND PRECISE ASSEMBLY OF THE PAVILION. THE PAINTED ALUMINUM PLANTERS, WITH THEIR SLEEK AND MODERN AESTHETIC, SEAMLESSLY INTEGRATE INTO THE OVERALL DESIGN, CREATING A VISUALLY COHESIVE STRUCTURE THAT BLURS THE BOUNDARIES BETWEEN THE MAN-MADE AND THE ORGANIC.
ROOFSCAPE AND GATEWAY:
THE DYNAMIC ROOFSCAPE OF VÄXT CAPTURES THE ESSENCE OF A LARGE-SCALE GARDEN SUSPENDED IN THE AIR. THE VARYING HEIGHTS AND ANGLES OF THE PLANTERS CREATE A VISUALLY CAPTIVATING PLAY OF LINES AND SHADOWS, TRANSFORMING THE PAVILION INTO A LIVING CANVAS. THE UNDULATING INFINITY STRIP NOT ONLY ADDS AN ELEMENT OF HUMAN-SCALE INTRIGUE TO THE ROOF BUT ALSO SERVES AS A GATEWAY, INVITING VISITORS TO EXPLORE THE IMMERSIVE ENVIRONMENT BENEATH THE FLOURISHING PLANTS.
PURPOSE AND EXPERIENCE:
VÄXT TRANSCENDS ITS ROLE AS A MERE PAVILION; IT IS A LIVING TESTAMENT TO THE COEXISTENCE OF URBAN ARCHITECTURE AND NATURE. AS VISITORS TRAVERSE BENEATH THE DYNAMIC ROOF, THEY ARE ENVELOPED IN A MULTISENSORY EXPERIENCE, WITH THE FRAGRANCE OF DIVERSE PLANT SPECIES, THE RUSTLE OF LEAVES, AND THE PLAY OF SUNLIGHT CREATING AN EVER-CHANGING AMBIANCE. SIMULTANEOUSLY, THE PAVILION ACTS AS A HAVEN FOR WILDLIFE, FOSTERING BIODIVERSITY AND EXEMPLIFYING SUSTAINABLE DESIGN PRINCIPLES.
IN ESSENCE, VÄXT PAVILION IS A CELEBRATION OF GROWTH, A TESTAMENT TO THE SEAMLESS INTEGRATION OF ARCHITECTURE AND NATURE, AND AN OPEN INVITATION FOR BOTH HUMANS AND WILDLIFE TO SHARE IN THE BEAUTY OF A DYNAMICALLY EVOLVING GARDEN IN THE HEART OF URBANITY.
Project location: CANTON, IOWA
Completion Year: -
Gross Built Area: 120 Square METERS
Lead Architect: Daniel Caven
Client: N/A