Asplund Pavilion

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Asplund Pavilion
Building from outside.jpg
Asplund Pavilion, San Giorgio Maggiore, 2023.
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Venice
Location in Venice
General information
AddressSan Giorgio Maggiore
Town or city Venice
Country Italy
Coordinates 45°25′38″N12°20′38″E / 45.427145°N 12.343976°E / 45.427145; 12.343976
Completed2018
Height8 metres (26 ft)
Technical details
MaterialWood
Design and construction
Architect(s)Francesco Magnani, Traudy Pelzel

The Asplund Pavilion (Italian: Padiglione Asplund) is an Installation art structure built in 2018 in Venice, Italy. It is located at the Cini Foundation in a forest on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore. It was created for the 16th Venice Biennale art exhibition as one of eleven structures for the "Vatican Chapels" project, which was promoted by the Holy See. The project was the first time the Holy See had sponsored an art project at the exhibition. [1] The Asplund Pavilion is noted for offering insights into contemporary perspectives on worship spaces from architects representing diverse cultural backgrounds. [2]

Contents

The project was inspired by the Skogskapellet (English: Woodland Chapel), designed in 1920 by the architect Erik Gunnar Asplund in the Skogskyrkogården (English: Woodland Cemetery) in Stockholm, Sweden. The Pavilion is entirely made of wood and contains an exhibition of original drawings and models by the architect Asplund.

History

The Holy See took part in the 16th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale for the first time in 2018. Led by directors Francesco Dal Co and Micol Forti, the project team included eleven international architects, who reimagined Gunnar Asplund's 1920 Forest Chapel in Stockholm's cemetery within the contemporary socio-cultural context. The Asplund Pavilion was the first chapel constructed for the project and it was designed by two Italian architects, Francesco Magnani and Traudy Pelzel. It was built by Alpi, an Italian wood manufacturer.

The participating architects included:

Each design adhered to the requirement of using materials assigned to each team provided by sponsoring commercial partners in the construction sector. The cost of materials was met by the sponsors, not the Vatican. Companies which supplied materials, technology and supported the construction costs included: Alpi; Barth Interni; Gruppofallani; Laboratorio Morselletto; Leucos; LignoAlp; Maeg; Moretti; Panariagroup; Piaggio Group; Sacaim; Saint-Gobain (Italy); Secco Sistemi; Simeon; Tecno; Terna; Zintek. [2]

The Vatican Chapels Project

The Vatican Chapels project comprises 10 chapels and the Asplund Pavilion, aimed at exploring and reinterpreting the concept of sacred spaces in contemporary society. [3] The Holy See created the project to combine chapels with tourism, based on modern changes in how individuals seek peace, quiet and spiritual space.

The Holy See commissioned eleven international architects for the project to create new chapel designs, providing contemporary interpretation from different cultural backgrounds. The project was created to better understand how people view Catholic places of worship and different styles in the 21st century.

The eleven chapels are categorized into two archetypal groups:

The Asplund Pavilion conforms to the archetype of the hut and is based on a Forest Chapel. It functions as a transitional space, incorporating elements of both the extroverted hut and the introverted hut within its design. The Pavilion is designed to confine an interior space isolated from its surroundings, and define the space by establishing a direct relationship with the exterior.

The term interior cabin archetype denotes chapels characterized by a precisely defined interior space, that is differentiated from the exterior. This archetype aligns with the Catholic Church's common practice of isolating sacred spaces from their surroundings, such as the interior space of the Forest Chapel. [1] [2]

List of the ten "Vatican Chapels" [2]
ArchitectCompanyCategoryMaterialMeasurements
Terunobu Fujimori [4] [5] LignoAlp Barth InterniHutWood8.5 metres (28 ft) x 6 metres (20 ft)

Entrance door width: 40 centimetres (16 in)

Souto de Moura [6] [7] Laboratorio MorselettoHutVicenza stoneTotal area: 30 square metres (320 sq ft)
Smiljan Radic [8] [9] Saint-Gobain ItaliaHutReinforced concrete, steel, wood, glassHeight: 5 metres (16 ft)

Roof: 3 metres (9.8 ft)x6 metres (20 ft)

Andrew Berman [10] Moretti TernaHutTraslucid polycarbonate, woodTriangular plan: 7 metres (23 ft) for each side
Francesco CelliniPanariagroupTotemSteel, porcelain stoneware
Norman FosterTecno Terna MaegHutMetal, woodLength: 12 metres (39 ft)

Height: 6 metres (20 ft)

Javier Corvalàn [2] SimeonTotem Plywood, steel/
Ricardo Flores y Eva Prats [2] Saint-Gobain ItaliaHutWood, red brick, "cocciopesto" ( blend of lime and crushed brick)/
Sean Godsell [11] Maeg Zintek NiceTotemSteelStructure : 12 metres (39 ft) long

Base : 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in) x 2.5 metres (8 ft 2 in)

Carla Juacaba [2] Secco SistemiTotemStainless steelLength : 8 metres (26 ft)

Width : 12 centimetres (4.7 in)

Architects and designers

Building

Disposition of the shingles on the Asplund Pavilion, San Giorgio Maggiore, 2023 Shingles disposition.jpg
Disposition of the shingles on the Asplund Pavilion, San Giorgio Maggiore, 2023

The architecture of the Asplund Pavilion was inspired by Stavkirken, a medieval wooden Christian church building from Scandinavia. The Asplund Pavilion is approximately 11 meters long and 8 meters high, and it is supported by 11 lamellar wood portals that define 10 bays. It presents a pitched roof which emphasizes its height, characterized by continuous wood cladding made of 9000 wooden shingles, interrupted by the presence of a series of symmetrical triangular skylights placed on both sides. [1] [2]

Shingle Measurements
Objectcm/in
Height35 centimetres (14 in)
Top length15 centimetres (5.9 in)
Bottom length7.5 centimetres (3.0 in)
Top width0.5 centimetres (0.20 in)
Bottom width2 centimetres (0.79 in)

Materials

For this project the company Alpi developed an experimental and unique material for the external part, which had to be waterproof and able to maintain its appearance over time. The exteriors of the building are entirely made of dark gray shingles, positioned like "dragon's skin", featuring the Xilo 2.0 Planked Gray wood pattern. Wood of the Xilo 2.0 Striped White collection was used to cover all internal surfaces. [13]

Style of the building

Skylight in the Asplund Pavilion, San Giorgio Maggiore, 2023 Inside skylight detail.jpg
Skylight in the Asplund Pavilion, San Giorgio Maggiore, 2023

The Asplund Pavilion belongs to the archetype of the hut which consists of three main elements: standalone columns, horizontal beams forming the entablature, and a basic pediment marking the triangular end of a pitched roof. The chapel encompasses the stereometry of the supporting structures crafted by Asplund and Lewerntz for the Stockholm cemetery, drawing inspiration from Nordic woodwork.

The design attempts to create a domestic absolute, interwining themes of shelter in nature and a reinterpreted vernacular architecture. The materials used were chosen to create a natural look to the exterior of the building, based on Asplund's original conept. The interior was designed to create a calm and tranquil atmosphere. The Pavilion incorporates shapes and colors from nature, and design elements incorporated to make a strong visual impression. [14] The external shingles feature a dark wooden material, which creates a contrast with the light wood used for the internal cladding. The external pattern creates a intricate microstructure by playing with the light and shadow contrasts, alluding to the multitude of the Nordic forest.

Art Collection

The internal space of the Pavillion features an exhibition presenting replica drawings, texts, photographs and scale models [15] referring to the original "Woodland Chapel". [3] The exhibits are provided by the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal and the Swedish Centre for Architecture and Design of Stockholm. [16] The display supplies insight of the development behind both the internal and external spaces of the building, with sketches, black and white drawings and photographs. The materials used include graphite, coloured pencils, pen and black ink and were created between 1918 and 1921. [17] [18]

List of artworks in the Asplund Pavilion exhibition
TitleTypeSuppliesDimensionsPerspective
Interior sketch perspective for Woodland Chapel showing the altar and catafalque DrawingGraphite23.5 centimetres (9.3 in) x 29.5 centimetres (11.6 in)Internal
Interior perspective for Woodland Chapel showing the altar and catafalqueDrawingGraphite and coloured pencil11.6 centimetres (4.6 in) x 16.8 centimetres (6.6 in)Internal
Exterior perspective for Woodland Chapel showing the loggia and wrought iron gate inside the main entranceDrawingGraphite, grey and green coloured pencil28.6 centimetres (11.3 in) x 32.5 centimetres (12.8 in)External
Exterior perspective for the wrought iron gate inside the main entrance of Woodland ChapelDrawingGraphite, yellow and green coloured pencil22.5 centimetres (8.9 in) x 20 centimetres (7.9 in)External
Elevation for a detail showing a skull and crossbones with serpents for the wrought iron gate inside the main entrance of Woodland ChapelDrawingGraphite, pen and black ink44.2 centimetres (17.4 in) x 61.2 centimetres (24.1 in)External
Interior perspective for Woodland Chapel showing the altar and catafalqueDrawingGraphite, coloured pencil, pen and black ink23.7 centimetres (9.3 in) x 32.2 centimetres (12.7 in)Internal
Interior view of Woodland Chapel showing the altar and chairsPhotographGelatin silver print16.7 centimetres (6.6 in)x 23 centimetres (9.1 in)Internal

See also

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References

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