álvaro siza uses aluminum foil to clad CAMERICH pavilion in shanghai

portuguese architect álvaro siza has designed a temporary pavilion for chinese furniture brand CAMERICH. on display at the 44th china international furniture fair (CIFF 2019) in shanghai, the structure has been clad with aluminum foil that creates a blurred mirroring effect. conversely, the inner white walls contrast with the reflective exterior, conveying a sense of serenity with no decoration or ornamentation.

all images courtesy of CAMERICH

CAMERICH’s debut pavilion at CIFF can be accessed via seven entrances, which all lead to a courtyard-like setting featuring the architect’s typical sequences of space and light. the small courtyard-inversions in the pavilion’s architecture evoke the influences of chinese building culture, which may be the result of siza’s increased number of projects throughout the country in recent years.

siza, who was partly inspired by picasso for the project, took six months to develop the pavilion — the shape of which has been compared to an anteater or an elephant. the structure contains a range of furniture including designs by álvaro siza himself: the castanha table and the baiana chairs, created by siza for CAMERICH, will be sold worldwide in the near future.

‘as a furniture brand, we have a focused design attitude and we do not limit our design vision to one field,’ says wang yanning, CAMERICH’s brand operating director. ‘this is the innovative way of thinking that CAMERICH has always adhered to. we are honored to cooperate with master siza, and we are grateful for his guidance and inspiration during the cooperation. design does not exist in isolation. it stems from the close observation and reflection of life. every sincere design by CAMERICH is an effort to maintain the purity of innovation.’

project info:

name: siza pavilion
design: álvaro siza
client: CAMERICH
venue: china international furniture fair (CIFF 2019)
location: shanghai, china