Hasta La Ideas

Michigan architects Synecdoche stacked up timber offcuts to construct this pavilion in Atlanta, Georgia, held together by gravity alone.

Called Edge Condition Pavilion, the tower weighing two and a half tons is tied to the ground by cables for safety.

The hardwood rods are the only material used and will be recycled when the pavilion is dismantled.

The design won first place in a competition run by Young Architects Forum of Atlanta, who funded its construction.

More stories about pavilions on Dezeen »

Here are some more details from architects Lisa Sauve and Adam Smith:

Edge Condition

Utilizing a by-product material as a means of invoking the temporary pavilion with a temporary material wood edges cut from hardwood boards give a standardized object to build upon creating a field in which to inhabit.

By operating on the edge of definitive material, neither board nor wood chip, the wood edge becomes the temporal object between two phases.

In the same light the pavilion offers the capacity to be an edge condition of construction. The methodical mode of stacking and maneuvering the edges is in itself on the edge of a mode of construction.

The flat stacking method gives way to opportunities for expansion and contraction of the volume between the material.

The variable of stacking techniques allow for light to move into the pavilion only through the spaces between the edges transforming the edge condition into an ephemeral effect.

The standardized one inch thick wood edge and weight of the hardwood compress the stack into a inhabitable nest stabilized by its dimension and assembly.

While dis-assembly is the reverse operation, the disposal of the material is a process of returning the wood edges to the hardwood mill as to re enter the recycling process that would otherwise take place.

Sponsors: wood edges donated by Hardwoods of Michigan in Clinton, Michigan. Young Architects Forum of Atlanta, Octane Coffee Bar, AIA Atlanta, Modern Atlanta

Ann Arbor crew: Christopher Holzwart, Mary O’Malley, Sarah Petri, Kyle Shobe, Robert Yuen

Atlanta crew: Emily Bacher, Keith Brockman, Jason Diehl, Adam Glenn, Nathan Koskovich, Carolina Montilla

See also:

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The Bird’s Nest by Inrednin Gsgruppen	UK Pavilion by Thomas Heatherwick	The Termite Pavilion at Pestival

Atlanta’s High Museum of Art explores the bespoke car as a work of art in the exhibit “The Allure of the Automobile” that opened this past weekend. Known for its strong decorative arts content, the museum celebrates the one-of-a-kind European and American cars of the 20th century for their fine forms as well as their historical significance.

Each of the eighteen cars in the show—ranging from the opulent Depression era 1933 Pierce Arrow Silver Arrow and the 1937 Delage D8-120s to icons such as the 1961 Ferrari 250 Short-Wheelbase Berlinetta SEFAC Hot Rod and the 1959 Chevrolet Corvette Stingray—put the emphasis on craftsmanship and detailed styling, divided into pre- and post-World War II categories. Porsche contributed the rare 1938/39 Porsche Type 64 to the exhibit, which marks the first occasion that the shell of that lustrous Porsche body has left Germany. “This exhibit isn’t about cars,” said Michael Bartsch, vice president and COO of Porsche.

Design relevance and automotive pedigree come together to illustrate the evolved styling of elite street and concept cars. Guest curator Ken Gross, an automotive historian and former director of Peterson Automotive Museum, contributes extensive background on each car and provides fodder for car enthusiast attendees. While the High’s Curator of Decorative Art and Design, Ron Laboco, isn’t a car expert, he instead approaches the cars in the exhibit as singular works of art. “It’s about what denotes a car as a masterpiece,” said Labaco. “It’s a direct connection between decorative arts. You can compare them with Faberge Eggs.”

The Allure of The Automobile runs through 20 June 2010.

Armchair invited Atlanta Community Food Bank people to share their meaning of the holidays with one word. Give, receive, enjoy and pass it on. See the card here