Faci Leboreiro: This ephemeral pavilion was designed for Cesantoni, a Mexican porcelain brand, for display during the Obra Blanca exhibition at Expo Santa Fe in Mexico City.
The project consists of 406 m², was built in three days, and dismantled in one day, which implies a great architectural and interior design achievement: generating a space of these characteristics that not only manages to express the values of the brand and show its products forcefully but also gives users the possibility of experiencing a purely architectural and interior tour and not just an exhibition.
The pavilion was conceived with a main axis which ends at the end with a large circular plaza; this axis functions as the main circulation and is flanked by three symmetrical volumes on each side that on the outside are solid boxes that give materiality and rhythm to the exterior façade and on the inside give the user an unexpected tour.
The user enters the first box without knowing what will happen, as a surprise, as happens when opening a gift, and finds the content of what is inside the train of blocks, which contain atmospheres that range from the ethereal and conceptual to the concrete, showing the different applications of Cesantoni's materials.
The different atmospheres we created for each of the blocks include:
- Showroom / materials library
- Wine cellar
- Large format display
- Audio-visual room
- Spa
- Orchid garden
The blocks are connected to each other by steps surrounded by vegetation, which are expressed as voids and silences within the composition of solids.
The large circular plaza embraces and welcomes users, being a welcoming space that promotes the exchange of ideas, which functions as a workplace and cocktail area. This area has a bar at its center, is crowned with the Cesantoni logo and has a large acacia tree at its center that gives freshness and scale. The plaza container is a large bookcase that also displays brand materials and vegetation. At the back of the bookcase we find a small wine cellar and private office area.