TCL architects: ephemeral boxes house puppet show TV series

TCL architects: ephemeral boxes house puppet show TV series
all images courtesy of TCL architects

staged within a warehouse, these three ephemeral boxes by chilean designers at TCL architects (tidy + caceres + lazo architects) were designed to house the ‘aplaplac production company’ – creators of the hit children TV show ’31 minutos’, which is entirely played by cloth puppets. located in santiago, chile, the disposable structures were built in just three days. the enclosures vary in sizes to accommodate the different needs of the program. the first box contains the administrative and executive offices, the second box – which is the largest in size – is used for the scriptwriters offices, and the third box functions as the show’s workshops, where all the puppets are manufactured. constructed from pine-wood slats that are then clad in translucent 4mm thick polycarbonate honeycomb sheets. the structure utilizes prefabricated beams cover the whole span, while supporting the weight of the ceiling. the rest of the warehouse remains free for storage use, as well as for the recording and filming studio. the parallel layout of the boxes is deliberately broken, so as to create a feeling of tension between them, and allow for informal spaces where meetings and events can occur.

view of the main access to the different boxes

the structures were designed to house the ‘aplaplac production company’

the enclosures accommodate the different functions of the program

in between spaces were designed to break up the parallel layout

view showing the workshop box entrance

executive office box entrance detail

31 minutos cast of puppets

project info:

name of the project: oficinas 31 minutos
architects: tidy+caceres+lazo architects (TCL)
design team: albert tidy, gabriel cáceres, daniel lazo
collaborators: sebastián cruz
location: santiago de chile
total area: 600 m2
built area: 110 m2
construction year: 2013
materials: 2×4” pine wood slats, 4 mm. thick polycarbonate honeycomb sheets, 25mm plywood boards
photography: pablo casals

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