Pallet Pavilion, Aarhus School of Architecture, 2010

The use of wood pallets at the Urban Orchard reminds me of another temporary installation, a construct in the quad at the Aarhus School of Architecture in Denmark.  "In a quick ten-day workshop, the students designed and built the pavilion with 420 recycled euro-pallets...The designers determined the curvilinear form of the pavilion after studying the regular flow of students through the courtyard. The project’s snaked edges gracefully descend from its height of 3.5m to the ground level – suggesting, if not tempting, all who pass by to climb. "

“The pavilion was basically a strip interacting with its context…leading people to use a different way of crossing the courtyard, by walking and sitting up to 3.50m high. Then, by curving the strip to link and adapt to each element, many steps were naturally created between the pallets, allowing people to sit in the sun, like on a terrace.  Since there are no structural elements, the layout and overlapping of the euro-pallets were extremely crucial to insure that the pavilion could be used as the students envisioned. Some pallets are stacked perpendicularly to create a cantilevered condition which provides steps to bring students to the very top of the pavilion, or serve as little seats where users’ feet dangle in the air."

“The Pavilion was meant to become an active element in the everyday-life of the school, and not to be only an object. By adapting naturally to the original flow of people crossing the courtyard, it was inviting people to interact with the structure and to follow the strip to come inside a shelter, built all around the tree.”

Images and text from archdaily