plastic volumes punctuate the cloud collective's frankfurter buchmesse pavilion

this october, flanders & the netherlands hosted the guest of honour pavilion for the frankfurter buchmesse. the studios CIVIC & MATTERS of the cloud collective were selected to design and execute the focal point of the event: a central literature salon.

the studios CIVIC & MATTERS of the cloud collective were selected to design the focal point of the event

the pavilion celebrates authors and literature foremost, but cultural context and cross-over arts are also given a podium. functions in the pavilion exceed the book alone, and are grouped around the concept of ‘the narrative’ in a broader sense. there are theatre and debate spaces, several exhibitions, a graphic studio, virtual reality spaces, a bookshop, café and salon all coming together under the 2,300 meter squared pavilion. 

the pavilion celebrates authors + literature foremost, but cultural context and cross-over arts are also given a podium

the cloud collective’s design features semi-transparent plastic sheets, simply stacked to create a variety of walls and volumes. a temporary and low cost material, the plastic towers suggest a number of different routes through the space, offering a powerful sensory experience. close inspection or passive observance of the volumes creates a kaleidoscopic effect of light and matter. clever engineering on the part of the cloud collective made sure that once the frankfurter buchmesse has concluded the walls are all completely demountable and reusable. 

there are theatre and debate spaces, exhibitions, a graphic studio, VR spaces, a bookshop, café and salon

the floor of the salon is made from clay stone, an earthy hue that contrasts with the modern presentation of the pavilion and serves to aesthetically anchor the installation. the open space is fringed by a slow-dynamic projection of the horizon. this way, like in iconic dutch landscapes, the horizon plays an omnipresent role.

the floor of the salon is made from clay stone, an earthy hue that contrasts with the modern presentation of the pavilion

the studio’s contextual approach to the program is also evident in the spatial design. ‘the dense zone and the spacious salon relate to the metropolitan landscape of the low lands’, explains the cloud collective. ‘separated by semi transparent walls, the different programmatic elements are allowed to influence each other, so the visitor is invited to understand the relationship. the largest space of the pavilion is a spacious room used to contemplate, sit, walk, and read.’ this combination of calm, open vistas and dense, media-rich proximities creates a specifically flemish-dutch typology for the exhibition.   

the open space is fringed by a slow-dynamic projection of the horizon

the largest space of the pavilion is a spacious room used to contemplate, sit, walk, and read 

the combination of spaces creates a specifically flemish-dutch typology for the exhibition

spatial scheme

plan of the pavilion

sections of the pavilion

design fragment of sensory material use

project info:

client: literary funds the nederlands and flanders
surface: 2,300 m2
program: literary salon, theatre 100p, book expo, virtual reality pavilion, bookshop, café,
several expos & cinema
design & coordination: CIVIC & MATTERS, the cloud collective
design team: gert kwekkeboom, joris lipsch, sem holweg, floriane pic, ingrid van der
heijden, jan lebbink, rick ten doeschate, angela solis, fernanda romeu, joeri sowka,
camillo oliveira
guest in design team: thorsten schneider
advisers: arup, electronica, fiction factory
contractor: uniplan gmbh
photography: stijn bollaert
film: ernest films

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: peter corboy | designboom