PA-MX emerged from the desire of the renowned artist Rivelino to produce a traveling installation that makes possible to exhibit his work in a number of European cities, before converting it into a container for future traveling exhibitions within Mexico.
The pavilion avails of the inherent strength and connection between the viewer and the work. It is presented as a cultural item with its own architectural identity without intending to compete with its content. It expresses a language fitting for the Mexican architecture of today.
The driving idea behind the project is “the infinite,” with the intention of taking up a significant characteristic of the artist: the conjunction of past and present and their interaction with possible future scenarios linking human beings and society.
The volumetry of the pavilion is based on the form of the infinity symbol, with two points of support which in their formal integrity imbue the public space with tranquility.
Its construction, is formed from jointed timber frames that express a logic of craftsmanship. These frames are linked by post-tensioned steel tubes. The enclosure, part solid and part transparent, twists with the form, transforming the floor into the wall and vice-versa. This dual nature of the materials permits great freedom for the exhibitions the pavilion will host.
On the outside, these two membranes allow the pavilion to respond to its context, camouflaging itself with the solid faces, which have an external mirror-like metallic finish, while the transparent faces give the appearance of an illuminated lighthouse.
The physical requirements of this work of ephemeral architecture are modularity, pre-fabrication, and security. Its modular form means it is versatile, with a floor area that can be adjusted from 700 m² to 1,000 m². Pre-fabricated elements mean that it can be mounted and dismounted, transported, and stored multiple times.
