“We don’t ask to be eternal beings, we only ask that things do not lose all their meaning.”_ Antoine de Saint-Exupery

The pavilion titled ‘An Enclosure of Permeability and Aperture’ is constructed at Gulshan, Dhaka for holding ‘The Pubic Exhibition on Architecture of Bangladesh’ which has been arranged on the occasion of ARCASIA (The Architects Regional Council Asia) Forum 20 held in Dhaka in November 2019. The temporary exhibition pavilion, commissioned by the Institute of Architects Bangladesh, is designed by architects Saiqa Iqbal Meghna and Suvro Sovon Chowdhury as part of the exhibition committee of the event which was led by Ar. Ehsan Khan.

 The pavilion is constructed by a joint venture of Sthanik Consultants and Studio Morphogenesis Ltd. The pavilion is accompanied by a ‘playscape’ for children to enhance the essence of the park by engaging the future generation to develop a sense of belongingness among them. Two circles of different radii span the area for the playscape which is strategically placed in the middle of the exhibition pavilion as a breakout zone. This circular play zone, designed as a landscape design element, successfully engages the children as well as their parents and other adults by enhancing a positive interaction among people of all ages.

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.The set-up is dealt as an in-between space where thin layers of undulating surfaces form the open to a sky exhibition gallery, an atmospheric experience for people, where they can engage themselves with the vibrant realm of architecture. The design idea of this translucent pavilion is deeply rooted in the desire of engaging people with ease and simplicity. The interplay of light and shadow, the flow of wind, the sound of leaves and flights of birds, all accentuate a deep sensory perception.

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.The selected site is the prominent breathing space both for the residents living around and the inhabitants/users of the commercial hub. The park is set parallel on an urban thoroughfare which is predominantly commercial and surrounded by residential fabric on three sides. It is quite unique with its scale and spread with accessibility and permeability. The location itself has a given vibrant image that has to be dealt with a ‘subtle contrast’. A sensible choice of material and scale were to be given criteria for this site.

As mentioned an idea of installation on/in a site as such requires minimal intervention with maximum impact. In contrast with the general practice disturbing the ground and leaving scars the idea was to do an installation that will rather rest on the ground. As a public, the visual permeability was to be kept and the idea of a ‘screen’ as a boundary was established. The installation was a boundary set up on the open field where every other activity around was celebrated while the exhibition was happening and the scale was something that added with nature.

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The design idea emerged from the necessity of creating an open-air gallery space within a limited budget constraint. The designers wanted to create something easy to build yet display the strength of local craftsmanship. Layers of undulating ruled surfaces are formed of repetitive sine curves and straight lines to achieve a contemporary gallery space.

Local material Bamboo is chosen to pose a stark contrast in the area which is full of high budget, often extravagant commercial and residential buildings displaying the vendor-oriented aesthetic influence of imported materials. The materiality of the pavilion gains its subtle elegance through the delicate details of the rope tie with loose ends, the rawness of the metal and uncut bamboo of varying lengths.

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.As opposed to the raw texture of the bamboo pavilion, the playscape is painted in a bright orange tone.  The playscape is designed as continuous folded curves forming a concentric ring catering interaction between different age groups. The exhibit does not take away the essence of the park, rather enhances people’s leisure time.

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PROJECT INFORMATION:

Name of the Project : An Enclosure of Permeability and Aperture: ARCASIA Pavilion at Dhaka

Location : Shahid Tajuddin Ahmad Smriti park, Central Gulshan

Commissioned by : Institute of Architects Bangladesh

The total built-up area of the Project : 6,600 square feet

Construction Period : 23 October – 01 November 2019

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PROJECT TEAM:

Design : SthaNiK Consultants

Lead Architects : Ar. Saiqa Iqbal Meghna and Ar. Suvro Sovon Chowdhury

Construction : Studio Morphogenesis Ltd.

Team Members : Rahat Ibna Hasan, Ar. Bhuiyan ARM Riyadh and Ar. Sumaiya Ara Simi

Site Engineer : Md. Shirajul

ALL DRAWINGS TO BE CREDITED : © Sthanik Consultants and Studio Morphogenesis Ltd.

PHOTOGRAPHS : Noufel Sharif Sojol, Maruf Raihan and Fahim Shahriar

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