discovery season pavilion by morag myerscough & luke morgan

discovery season pavilion by morag myerscough & luke morgan
photo by gareth gardner

morag myerscough & luke morgan recently created a neon pavilion for the library of birmingham (see designboom’s coverage of the mecanoo-designed space here).

the multifunctional structure designed as the hub for the library’s 18 week discovery season where the building will host a programme of events and activities, curated by capsule, that celebrate the opening of europe’s biggest public library.

entirely hand-crafted, the pavilion has been designed to reflect the diverse and often radical discovery season creative residency programme. the timber single-storey structure is topped with a neon ‘crown’ of signs emblazoned with words that originated from workshops held with youth arts group birmingham 2022.

rear of the pavilion
photo by gareth gardner

myerscough painstakingly hand-painted the exterior walls with symbols used in on-line communication, embracing digital with an analogue technique. the interior of the timber box structure has been kept as simple and raw as possible, allowing each resident to change the space as much as they wish. battens can be used as ad hoc shelves, while the ceiling is made from wooden slats which provides views of the neon rooftop signs and delivers a striking internal dappled lighting effect.

‘we wanted to greet visitors with a smile and a celebration of the word she says. it encourages conversation and lifts the spirits. the pavilion is also meant to be something of a ‘curiosity box’ which closes on sunday night, undergoes transformation the following day and then when the doors open on tuesday has become a totally new space depending on what that week’s resident has planned’ – morag myerscough

inside the pavilion
photo by gareth gardner

two sides of the structure feature full-height double doors while the others have large windows. these can either be swung open for transparency or closed to create a more intimate environment for projected installations, in stark contrast to the library’s vast lobby space. the pavilion was erected on site in two weeks, and was designed to make best use of a space directly opposite the library’s main entrance. it snugly fits between concrete pillars, working within tight spatial restrictions imposed by the library’s fire protection system.

designed to be completely demountable, it is hoped that a new home for the pavilion will be found at the end of the discovery season.

detail of the signage
photo by gareth gardner

rooftop signage
photo by gareth gardner

photo by gareth gardner

as part of the discovery season, myerscough also hosted a week-long residency with several workshops
photo by gareth gardner

discovery season pavilion by morag myerscough & luke morgan
photo by gareth gardner

sketches of the pavilion by morag myerscough

painting the pavilion

pavilion signs

the alphabet was created by the visitors and users of the library in the studio myerscough workshop

as part of the discovery season, myerscough also hosted a week-long residency where visitors to the library could attend and develop their design skills. together with myerscough the guests created a new A to Z font for the library that references the mecanoo-designed aluminium facade pattern.