Hasta La Ideas

Somaliland- and London-based Rashid Ali Architects has created a chequered timber garden pavilion that can be illuminated as a “glowing lantern” in Hargeisa.

Set within the paved garden of a house in the capital of Somaliland, the simple pavilion is constructed from a timber frame to create a chequered appearance.

“The idea of the chequered facade was to express the structural pattern of the timber as the aesthetic language of the pavilion,” Ali told Dezeen.

“The infill use of plywood, tinted glass and polycarbonate defuses the intense daylight, and at night turns it into a glowing lantern within the garden.”

The pavilion is designed to contrast the surrounding structures in a dense residential area of the city.

“The project is part of a current preoccupation with introducing and experimenting with materials and construction techniques that are locally unfamiliar,” said Ali.

“With the exception of limited areas of planting, the pavilion is surrounded by hard surfaces and volumes made of rendered concrete,” he continued.

“With the use of timber, the idea was to create a soft, sculptural volume that stands out strikingly within its setting.”

The main structure of the pavilion is made from a timber frame filled with a series of plywood and tinted glass panels.

It is topped with a roof structure that cantilevers above both the pavilion’s entrances and was infilled with polycarbonate panels.

The pavilion will be used as a sheltered tea room for the home’s owners as well as a space for workshops for the local community.

“Primarily, it functions as a space for the owner to read, enjoy the garden and for socialising with friends,” explained Ali.

“In addition, it is intended to be used for educational workshops on business literacy for women in the neighbourhood, and as a general outdoor classroom and play space owner’s children.”

Rashid Ali Architects was founded by Ali in Somaliland and London in 2011. Previously the studio created a pink-concrete pavilion in Hargeisa and refurbished a house owned by fashion designer Roksanda Ilincic in London.

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