Hasta La Ideas

Dutch studio SeARCH has created a dome-shaped pavilion covered in grass and filled with plants, as part of the International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam that opened to the public today.

Located at Rotterdam’s Museumpark, Yourtopia was designed by SeARCH as a utopian 21st century house. It is intended to reference indigenous architecture around the world – from igloos in the Arctic to underground dwellings in China –  but also to encapsulate nature.

Speaking to Dezeen at the opening, studio founder Bjarne Mastenbroek said he wanted to create a simple and cost-efficient building that would show that “architecture can be a luxury and not just a commodity”.

“The whole idea is linked to the way that [Mexican architect] Luis Barragán built villas in Mexico City. What we like about these is that if you reduce the size, these could be modest houses,” said Mastenbroek.

The exterior of the house is covered in grass, creating a manmade hill that extends up from the lawn. A large circular skylight sits over the peak, topped by a large saucer-like roof that offers shade from direct sunlight and filters away rainwater.

A protruding doorway leads visitors inside the building, where they can discover a huge thicket of tropical plants and trees sitting beneath the skylight.

“One of the questions we asked was, why does a house need windows?” Mastenbroek told Dezeen. “This one provides plenty of light, and the sky becomes your view.”

The need for a fast construction prompted the team to use a steel frame, although they originally planned to build the pavilion with prefabricated concrete panels. This would allow the house to be easily reproduced.

It will be open for a least five months, over which time the architect plans to add furniture or even invite guests to stay.

Yourtopia is the first of a planned series of temporary pavilions that will be created as part of future biennales. The sixth International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR) will run until 24 August.

Dezeen’s trip to Rotterdam was courtesy of Visit Holland.

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