Peace Pavilion / Atelier Zündel Cristea

Architects: Atelier Zündel Cristea
Area: 20 m²
Year: 2013
Photography: Sergio Grazia
Consultants: Ramon Sastre
Builder: TP Arquitectura y Construccion Textil
City: London
Country: United Kingdom

Peace Pavilion, designed by Atelier Zündel Cristea in Museum Gardens, London, encourages social interaction, reflection, and relaxation in a peaceful public space. Completed in 2013, the pavilion enhances the experience of the urban environment with a temporary, transportable structure, promoting peace and co-existence. Built using lightweight materials, it serves as a hub for discussions on architecture and design, blending the concepts of nature, peace, and harmony. The symmetrical geometric form allows easy interaction, creating a tranquil space where visitors can appreciate its beauty and engage with one another.

The architects emphasize that enhancing the urban experience does not always require large-scale, long-term projects. Small, temporary interventions, placed in key areas at specific times, can transform the way people perceive and engage with their surroundings. Atelier Zündel Cristea focuses on designing interventions that appeal to city dwellers, reshaping their relationship with public spaces and urban activities.

Humans often experience nostalgia for an ancient, idealized happiness associated with nature. The intention behind these interventions is to invite urban inhabitants to take part in fun, unusual events within the city landscape. Examples include an inflatable bridge with trampolines over the Seine, a pavilion in a London park, and a museum traversed by a roller coaster.

These projects aim to create new urban “Elysian Fields,” not in the sense of consumer-driven spaces like the Champs-Élysées, but through spaces fostering essential human experiences, evoking strong emotions and sensory engagement.

The competition site for project is the Museum Gardens, located on Cambridge Heath Road in Bethnal Green, London. This historic park, registered under English Heritage, spans 1,05 hectares and is surrounded by landmarks such as the V&A Museum of Childhood and St John’s Church. Its primary use is as a recreational area for residents, workers, and visitors, which highlights the importance of making the most of this public space through the pavilion design.

The design addresses the need for a temporary, transportable pavilion in a public setting during the summer of 2013. It emphasizes inclusion, socialization, relaxation, and reflection, providing a high-quality space for enjoyment conversation, and peaceful contemplation.

The pavilion offers an inspiring setting where architects, designers, families, and the general public can gather to appreciate diversity, discuss design, and share stories in a peaceful environment. Museum Gardens, along with nature, provides an ideal backdrop for promoting peace and encouraging joyful exchanges on architectural and design.

The architects propose a visually and aesthetically engaging pavilion, designed to bring tranquility, beauty, and high aesthetic value to the heart of Museum Gardens. The symmetrical structure creates a seamless experience for visitors, who can quickly grasp its layout and spatial flow.

Standing at meters high and covering an area of 20 m², the pavilion is constructed from 77.96 m² of PVC membrane and 20 m³ of air. The lightweight, self-supporting structure can be scaled to fit other sites. Advanced parametric design tools, tensile membrane studies, and CNC fabrication techniques were used to achieve the complex geometry of the pavilion, allowing for its precise and efficient construction.