Siza’s finished pavilion in Shanghai

The Siza Pavilion for the Chinese premium furniture brand CAMERICH at the China International Furniture Fair (CIFF) in Shanghai and the accompanying design forum are the result of a cooperation between CAMERICH, CIFF and Aedes Architecture Forum Berlin. The pavilion is a 1:1 – architectural statement by the world-renowned Portuguese architect and Pritzker Laureate, Álvaro Siza.

The Pavilion
In light of worldwide celebrations commemorating 100 years of Bauhaus and discussions on sustainable urban design, in connection with new challenges of the digital age, Álvaro Siza was identified as the ideal designer to contribute to this east-west dialogue in architecture. The entire pavilion appears as a fusion of the Siza-typical sequences of rooms and light, stimulated by observations and reflections make during his recent visit to Bruno Taut’s Horseshoe Housing Estate (Hufeisensiedlung) in Berlin.

Small courtyard-inversions in the pavilion’s architecture evoke influences of Chinese building culture, which may result from Siza having realized a number of projects throughout China in recent years. The outer skin of the pavilion is fully covered in aluminium-coated insulation material, giving the unexpected appearance of a blurry-mirroring spaceship wrapped in silver, soft-cushion. Seven entrances invite visitors to explore the sequences of spaces covering 715sqm and raising up to 4.8m in height.

A small selection of furniture and lamps designed by Álvaro Siza are the only exhibits in the pavilion. This includes his Castanha Table and Baiana Chairs – new products designed by Siza that will be produced and distributed globally by CAMERICH in the near future. Sketches depicting the design process of the pavilion and furniture accompany the exhibit.

The Accompanying International Architecture Design Forum
Siza’s humanistic stance his independent spirit and strong relation with China made him an exemplary architect for the pavilion commissioned by Camerich. His legacy is also an ideal point of departure for the international design forum which explores demands of human living conditions, traditions in craftsmanship, and possibilities of design and production in the new digital era.

The pavilion was made possible with the coordination of Chinese liaison architect Zhang Ke and consultancy of the Portuguese architect António Choupina. The final drawings were delivered by Álvaro Siza and his team in June 2019. As a prefabricated structure, the pavilion itself will be built in China in August, and then re-assembled and installed for indoor use at the CIFF. Source by Aedes and photos Courtesy of António Choupina.