Unique architecture at Music Festivals (part II)
Music festivals are probably the perfect scenario to play with and try new architecture. Concepts like design, innovation, context, recyclability or sustainability are here more important than ever and allow us to create unique architecture. Ephemeral architecture that by its definition assumes from the beginning a finite life, and in the self acceptance of its brief existence lives its attractiveness and strength.
Furthermore, music festivals have become an unparalleled sociological phenomenon, they are a melting pot of cultures and creativity where architecture is closely connected to the people, and plays a key role in drawing festival's identity and reaffirming their values, which are (and should always be) much more than music. Below these lines, and in addition to the first 5 examples of unique architecture at music festivals published back in May, are another 5 great examples of it.
“Reflection Field” designed by Phillip K Smith III for Coachella festival
Designed by contemporary artist Phillip K. Smith III for Coachella festival, Reflection Field consisted of five large free-standing volumes, reflecting the surroundings with their mirror-clad and vividly luminescent surfaces. Spanning a diameter of around 30m across the impressive perfectly flat green surface of the festival, the objects served as monolithic reflective masses during the day and expansive fields of color at night that involved the festival goers in many different ways.
“Brasserie 2050” designed by Overtreders W for Lowlands festival
Lowlands is always a festival to pay attention to more over than the music. Two years ago, Brasserie 2050, a pop up restaurant designed by Overtreders W was built there. The pavilion was conceived as the barn of the future. Made from borrowed, hired and dismountable standard building materials that would keep their value after the barn was no longer in use. The main construction consisted of standard pallet racks, the tables were made from recycled plastic. A stack of vertical farming cabinets filled with herbs formed the facade of the pavilion. Above the tables onions, garlic, corn and wheat were stored, mesh box pallets filled with bags of grain made sure the pavilion was not blown away by the wind. Everything was reusable and nothing would be thrown away.
“Industrial Machines” at MELT! Festival
These astonishing machines were obviously not built for the Melt! or Splash! festival, but they have become an essential part of these two German festival landscapes. Ferropolis (the location where both take place) it's an open museum of huge industrial machines from the mid-twentieth century and it is almost entirely surrounded by water. So the festivals has adapted to the place and instead of ignoring these machines, they have built their image and character around them, treating them as unique giant sort of art and design pieces
“Light Beams” designed by Hello Wood for Sziget festival
Designed by Hello Wood Light Beams is a stunning festival installation, pub and community space meant to attract attention with striking geometric shapes and amazing light shows in the nighttime. Hello Wood, the Hungarian educational platform in design and architecture has been bringing meaningful ideas to life already for a long time, reshaping public spaces, creating communities and installing year after year their unique pieces of furniture in the Sziget festival.
“Galaxia” designed by Mamou-Mani for Burning Man
Designed by French architecture office Mamou-Mani for Burning Man in 2018, Galaxia was a pavilion shaped of 20 timber trusses converging as a spiral towards one point in the sky. The triangular trusses formed different paths towards a central space holding a giant 3D printed mandala, the heart of Galaxia. As participants walked through the path, the timber modules lifted up and became thinner and thinner towards the sky as people reached the central mandala.
