Designed by Ann Ha and Behrang Behin, Living Pavilion is a low-tech, low-impact installation that employs milk crates as the framework for growing planted surface similar to a green wall. It won first place in the ‘City of Dreams Pavilion’ 2010 contest as part of Figment – a celebration of creative culture held on Governors Island in New York.
Besides being the main component of the pavilion, milk crates also serve as suspended beds for the greenery that lines the interior of the structure. This innovative idea has transformed wall of crates into a living skin offering greenery.
The 10ft-tall, tent-like structure is built of milk crates from Admar Plastics, a New Jersey-based manufacturer of milk creates. These crates already contain 15 to 20% recycled post-consumer plastic content.
Shade-tolerant plant species called Liriope is used on the underside. The outer layer is planted with grass to keep the roots of the liriope cool. The resulting planted crate surfaces provide a beautiful shady area of living green for visitors.
The pavilion has been installed on Governors Island in New York for the summer 2010 season as a temporary central gathering and assembly point for arts activity. After 3 October, it will be disassembled and the crates re-distributed around New York City. The pavilion is also the winner of the City of Dreams Pavilion competition of 2010 Figment Festival.
Figment joined forces with The Emerging New York Architects Committee of the American Institute of Architects New York Chapter (ENYA) and the Structural Engineers Association of New York (SEAoNY) to co-host a competition to design and install an architectural pavilion for the 2010 summer season on Governors Island. The City of Dreams Pavilion is a temporary gathering place for people to meet, learn about the arts programmess on the island, enjoy a planned or impromptu performance or lecture, and experience the interaction of art and the historic context of Governors Island.
