Asplund Pavilion Explained

Asplund Pavilion
Map Type:Italy Venice
Map Dot Label:Venice
Address:San Giorgio Maggiore
Location City:Venice
Location Country:Italy
Coordinates:45.4271°N 12.344°W
Completion Date:2018
Material:Wood
Architect:Francesco Magnani, Traudy Pelzel

The Asplund Pavilion is an Installation art structure built in 2018 in Venice, Italy. It is located at the Cini Foundation in a forest on the island of San Giorgio Maggiore. It was created for the 16th Venice Biennale art exhibition as one of eleven structures for the "Vatican Chapels" project, which was promoted by the Holy See. The project was the first time the Holy See had sponsored an art project at the exhibition.[1] The Asplund Pavilion is noted for offering insights into contemporary perspectives on worship spaces from architects representing diverse cultural backgrounds.[2]

The project was inspired by the Skogskapellet, designed in 1920 by the architect Erik Gunnar Asplund in the Skogskyrkogården in Stockholm, Sweden. The Pavilion is entirely made of wood and contains an exhibition of original drawings and models by the architect Asplund.

History

The Holy See took part in the 16th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale for the first time in 2018. Led by directors Francesco Dal Co and Micol Forti, the project team included eleven international architects, who reimagined Gunnar Asplund's 1920 Forest Chapel in Stockholm's cemetery within the contemporary socio-cultural context. The Asplund Pavilion was the first chapel constructed for the project and it was designed by two Italian architects, Francesco Magnani and Traudy Pelzel. It was built by Alpi, an Italian wood manufacturer.

The participating architects included:

Each design adhered to the requirement of using materials assigned to each team provided by sponsoring commercial partners in the construction sector. The cost of materials was met by the sponsors, not the Vatican. Companies which supplied materials, technology and supported the construction costs included: Alpi; Barth Interni; Gruppofallani; Laboratorio Morselletto; Leucos; LignoAlp; Maeg; Moretti; Panariagroup; Piaggio Group; Sacaim; Saint-Gobain (Italy); Secco Sistemi; Simeon; Tecno; Terna; Zintek.[3]

The Vatican Chapels Project

The Vatican Chapels project comprises 10 chapels and the Asplund Pavilion, aimed at exploring and reinterpreting the concept of sacred spaces in contemporary society.[4] The Holy See created the project to combine chapels with tourism, based on modern changes in how individuals seek peace, quiet and spiritual space.

The Holy See commissioned eleven international architects for the project to create new chapel designs, providing contemporary interpretation from different cultural backgrounds. The project was created to better understand how people view Catholic places of worship and different styles in the 21st century.

The eleven chapels are categorized into two archetypal groups:

The Asplund Pavilion conforms to the archetype of the hut and is based on a Forest Chapel. It functions as a transitional space, incorporating elements of both the extroverted hut and the introverted hut within its design. The Pavilion is designed to confine an interior space isolated from its surroundings, and define the space by establishing a direct relationship with the exterior.

The term interior cabin archetype denotes chapels characterized by a precisely defined interior space, that is differentiated from the exterior. This archetype aligns with the Catholic Church's common practice of isolating sacred spaces from their surroundings, such as the interior space of the Forest Chapel.

List of the ten "Vatican Chapels"!Architect!Company!Category!Material!Measurements
Terunobu Fujimori[5] [6] LignoAlp Barth Interni HutWood x Entrance door width:
Souto de Moura[7] [8] Laboratorio Morseletto HutVicenza stoneTotal area:
Smiljan Radic[9] [10] Saint-Gobain ItaliaHutReinforced concrete, steel, wood, glassHeight: Roof: x
Andrew Berman[11] Moretti TernaHutTraslucid polycarbonate, woodTriangular plan: for each side
Francesco CelliniPanariagroupTotemSteel, porcelain stoneware
Norman FosterTecno Terna MaegHutMetal, woodLength: Height:
Javier CorvalànSimeonTotemPlywood, steel /
Ricardo Flores y Eva PratsSaint-Gobain ItaliaHutWood, red brick, "cocciopesto" (blend of lime and crushed brick)/
Sean Godsell[12] Maeg Zintek NiceTotemSteel Structure : longBase : x
Carla JuacabaSecco SistemiTotemStainless steelLength : Width :

Architects and designers

Building

The architecture of the Asplund Pavilion was inspired by Stavkirken, a medieval wooden Christian church building from Scandinavia. The Asplund Pavilion is approximately 11 meters long and 8 meters high, and it is supported by 11 lamellar wood portals that define 10 bays. It presents a pitched roof which emphasizes its height, characterized by continuous wood cladding made of 9000 wooden shingles, interrupted by the presence of a series of symmetrical triangular skylights placed on both sides.

Shingle Measurements
Object cm/in
Height
Top length
Bottom length
Top width
Bottom width

Materials

For this project the company Alpi developed an experimental and unique material for the external part, which had to be waterproof and able to maintain its appearance over time. The exteriors of the building are entirely made of dark gray shingles, positioned like "dragon's skin", featuring the Xilo 2.0 Planked Gray wood pattern. Wood of the Xilo 2.0 Striped White collection was used to cover all internal surfaces.[14]

Style of the building

The Asplund Pavilion belongs to the archetype of the hut which consists of three main elements: standalone columns, horizontal beams forming the entablature, and a basic pediment marking the triangular end of a pitched roof. The chapel encompasses the stereometry of the supporting structures crafted by Asplund and Lewerntz for the Stockholm cemetery, drawing inspiration from Nordic woodwork.

The design attempts to create a domestic absolute, intertwining themes of shelter in nature and a reinterpreted vernacular architecture. The materials used were chosen to create a natural look to the exterior of the building, based on Asplund's original concept. The interior was designed to create a calm and tranquil atmosphere. The Pavilion incorporates shapes and colors from nature, and design elements incorporated to make a strong visual impression.[15] The external shingles feature a dark wooden material, which creates a contrast with the light wood used for the internal cladding. The external pattern creates an intricate microstructure by playing with the light and shadow contrasts, alluding to the multitude of the Nordic forest.

Art Collection

The internal space of the Pavilion features an exhibition presenting replica drawings, texts, photographs and scale models[16] referring to the original "Woodland Chapel". The exhibits are provided by the Canadian Centre for Architecture in Montreal and the Swedish Centre for Architecture and Design of Stockholm.[17] The display supplies insight of the development behind both the internal and external spaces of the building, with sketches, black and white drawings and photographs. The materials used include graphite, coloured pencils, pen and black ink and were created between 1918 and 1921.[18] [19]

List of artworks in the Asplund Pavilion exhibition
Title Type Supplies Dimensions Perspective
Drawing Graphite x Internal
Interior perspective for Woodland Chapel showing the altar and catafalque Drawing Graphite and coloured pencil x Internal
Exterior perspective for Woodland Chapel showing the loggia and wrought iron gate inside the main entrance Drawing Graphite, grey and green coloured pencil x External
Exterior perspective for the wrought iron gate inside the main entrance of Woodland Chapel Drawing Graphite, yellow and green coloured pencil x External
Elevation for a detail showing a skull and crossbones with serpents for the wrought iron gate inside the main entrance of Woodland Chapel Drawing Graphite, pen and black ink x External
Interior perspective for Woodland Chapel showing the altar and catafalque Drawing Graphite, coloured pencil, pen and black ink x Internal
Interior view of Woodland Chapel showing the altar and chairs Photograph Gelatin silver print x Internal

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. The Asplund Pavilion of the Holy See . 2018-05-19 . Interni Magazine . Foresti . Claudia . 2023-11-18 . Arnoldo Mondadori Editore S.p.A..
  2. Sena Augusto . Marta Isabel . Gómez Martínez . Vidal . October 2022 . From the Hut to the Totem: An Archetypal Analysis of the Holy See's Eleven Chapels at the Venice Architecture Biennale . Athens Journal of Architecture . 8 . 4 . 337–358. 10.30958/aja.8-4-2 .
  3. Sena Augusto . Marta Isabel . Gómez Martínez . Vidal . October 2022 . From the Hut to the Totem: An Archetypal Analysis of the Holy See's Eleven Chapels at the Venice Architecture Biennale . Athens Journal of Architecture . 8 . 4 . 337–358. 10.30958/aja.8-4-2 .
  4. Web site: Ravasi . Gianfranco . 2018-03-20 . Press Conference for the Presentation of the Holy See Pavilion at the 16th International Architecture Exhibition of the Venice Biennale: Vatican Chapels . 2023-11-21 . press.vatican.va.
  5. Web site: 2018-09-19 . La cappella di Terunobu Fujimori nel Padiglione Vaticano . 2023-12-13 . SacrArch . it-IT.
  6. Web site: SCHOENSTEIN . ALBERTO . 2018-07-19 . Biennale: Vatican Chapels e LignoAlp con la firma di Fujimori . 2023-12-13 . Guidafinestra . it-IT.
  7. Web site: 2018-09-12 . Padiglione Vaticano: la cappella di Eduardo Souto de Moura . 2023-12-13 . SacrArch . it-IT.
  8. Web site: Viva . Arquitectura . Vatican Chapel for la Biennale di Venezia, Venice - Eduardo Souto de Moura . 2023-12-13 . Arquitectura Viva . en.
  9. Web site: 2018-09-11 . Padiglione Vaticano: la cappella di Smiljan Radic . 2023-12-13 . SacrArch . it-IT.
  10. Web site: 2018-06-11 . Vatican Chapels. La cappella di Smiljan Radić in cemento armato modellato dalle bolle d'aria del pluriball . 2023-12-13 . professione Architetto . it-IT.
  11. Web site: 2018-09-01 . Vatican Chapels: la cappella di Andrew Berman . 2023-12-13 . SacrArch . it-IT.
  12. Web site: Maini . Valentina . 3 September 2018 . La cappella di Sean Godsell: un prisma-campanile per il Padiglione Vaticano . SacrArch . it.
  13. Web site: Map Studio Biografia.
  14. Università Iuav di Venezia . 2023 . Padiglione Asplund . 8–14 .
  15. Web site: Alpi Realizza Il Padiglione Asplund, Preludio Per Vatican Chapels . 21 November 2023 . elledecor.com . 26 June 2018 . di content team.
  16. Book: Dal Co . Francesco . Vatican / Chapels . Ravasi . Gianfranco . Molteni . Elisabetta . Mulazzani . Marco . Electaarchitettura . 2018 . 9788891819185 . 83 . Italian.
  17. 5 April 2018 . Vatican Chapels: the project . . 103.
  18. Web site: Erik Gunnar Asplund collection . Canadian Centre for Architecture.
  19. Web site: Woodland Chapel: conceptual and design development drawings and photographs . Canadian Centre for Architecture.