mezzo atelier's pavilion opens up to the walk&talk art festival of são miguel

mezzo atelier’s temporary pavilion for the 8th annual walk&talk art festival signifies a dismantling of borders — embracing the ideals of the festival itself. walk&talk is held on são miguel, the biggest island of the portuguese azores archipelago. designed in the image of a ‘house’ opening up to become public space, the pavilion is completely permeable and multi-programmatic. the wooden structure simply offers a ceiling and necessary protection for its different functions. as in many of the studio’s projects, the design began with an archetype which was adapted to the client’s requirements and influenced by local elements and vernacular architecture.

all images courtesy of francisco nogueira

the wooden structure of the walk&talk pavilion was influenced by the island’s unique pineapple greenhouses. mezzo atelier designed the pavilion as a system of modules so that that it may easily vary in size and can be split in two parts: a stage and a main, multidisciplinary space. the stage can be reoriented depending on the type and size of the event taking place, opening more or less to the square and theatre. a parallel system of pillars carry the weight of the double shaped pitched roof and fix the structure’s modularity. the system is comprised of interlocking portals whose organization mimics that of a church with a central higher nave and peripheral aisle.

during the festival the pavilion hosted many type of events including workshops, lectures, brunches and late night concerts or performances. artists could interact with the space in different ways which makes the project richer each time. the wooden structure is made entirely with locally sourced wood, called cryptomeria, a japanese cedar which was introduced onto the islands many years ago. the construction process of the pavilion was documented on the festival’s social media.