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Francis Kéré fashions arts pavilion from pine logs

2019-07-12T15:12:00-04:00

Architect Francis Kéré has completed work on Xylem, a new pavilion at the Tippet Rise Art Center in Montana that is fashioned from a collection of tree trunks.

The 2,100-square-foot pavilion, described as "a quiet place to contemplate nature" by the organizers, draws inspiration from the wooden and straw toguna structures in West Africa's Dogon communities. In their native context, togunas are seen as sacred structures and are often located at the center of each village where they host communal discussions and debates. Designed with squat proportions that force visitors to sit down when inhabiting the space, the traditional structures play a vital role in the governance and everyday life of their respective villages.

Interior view of the pavilion, which is made up of from ponderosa and lodgepole pine logs. Image courtesy of Iwan Baan, Tippet Rise Art Center.

For the pavilion in Montana, Kéré has created a lively and textured space built entirely from the logs of ponderosa and lodge...

Meditative pavilion designed by Francis Kéré for Montana's Tippet Rise Art Center soon to break ground

2018-12-13T14:33:00-05:00

Montana's sprawling, 12,000 acre sculpture and music park will soon begin construction on a permanent pavilion designed by the Berlin-based Burinabé architect Diébédo Francis Kéré. The commission for Tippet Rise Art Center, which will kick off their 2019 Summer concert season, is being funded by the Tippet Rise Fund of the Sidney E. Frank Foundation, which is also helping to construct a new school in Kéré's hometown of Gando.

The wooden pavilion is derived from Kéré's 2017 Serpentine Pavilion and his 2015 canopy structure for the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art. It is inspired by the traditional togunas of the Dogon culture of Mali and will be constructed of locally and sustainably sourced ponderosa and lodgepole pine. Described by the architect as creating a "rain of light" effect, the structure will offer visitors a space to gather, contemplate the views, and/or meditate.

Naaba Belem Goumma Secondary School.

“At Tippet Rise, we want the buildings to have the material and formal int...

Francis Kéré will design a canopied log pavilion for the Tippet Rise Art Center in Montana

2018-05-17T16:29:00-04:00

Francis Kéré is the latest architect commissioned to design a new permanent pavilion on the grounds of the 10,260-acre Tippet Rise Art Center in Montana. Nestled in a cluster of aspen and cottonwood trees on the banks of a flowing stream, the design of the 1,900 square-foot pavilion is derived from Kéré's 2017 Serpentine Pavilion and his 2015 canopy structure for the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.

Kéré's design pays tribute to the traditional sacred toguns of the Dogun people in Mali, which are shelters made from ornamented wooden pillars that are carved with representations of one's ancestors, and a roof of layers of wood and millet straw.

Exterior view of the pavilion. Credit: Francis Kéré.

Circular aerial bridge. Credit: Francis Kéré.

Built from locally sourced logs of ponderosa pine and lodegepole pine, the Tippet Rise pavilion will be a round structure connected to a circular aerial bridge that spans the stream. Touching the ground at only a few points to preserve the landscape...