Madrid Book Fair Pavilion

Mimicking the lightness of tissues where even the slightest bit of movement can trigger an organically kinetic poetry, this small, muted pavilion in Madrid, Spain is a floating tissue space that embodies lightness, movement, and poetry.

Madrid Book Fair Pavilion, also called the House of Book, is a special pavilion designed by Portuguese architects Olga Sanina and Marcelo Dantas along with Japanese architect Ryuji Nakamura. Its form extensively evolved from manipulating the book as an object capable of showcasing new relationships concerning scale, rhythm, texture, and space – a familiar theme with Japanese sculptor Noriko Ambe’s works.

Noriko Ambe’s principles heavily influenced the pavilion’s final form. The confrontation that lies behind two rules and opposite systems created a challenge to combine these elements into a unique, cohesive expression.

As a result, the pavilion works alongside a variety of juxtapositions that explore a spatial and volumetric form built from contrasting elements – of flat and dynamic surfaces, of light and shadow, of opaque and transparent planes. Outside, its rectangular form is wrapped in a repetitive array of slim, white panels punctured with a small arch that serves as the pavilion’s entrance. The exterior’s familiarity is then contrasted with interior spaces showcasing a seamless dialogue between light and shadows, testified by a small auditorium that embodies the pavilion’s fluid continuity. It is the cohesiveness achieved upon each contradicting design element that generates the simple yet imposing appeal of the pavilion.

Simple and unassuming as a book, yet as mysterious and unpredictable as each story unfolds, the Madrid Book Fair Pavilion is the perfect metaphor that combines the art of reading, building, and designing that goes beyond the pages.