SHL's Shanghai Cloud Pavilion is a stunning glass and steel extrusion of a cartoon cloud

2016-08-18T12:44:00-04:00

Intended as both a counterpoint to the heavy industrial cranes that line Shanghai's West Bund as well as an art/exhibition space, SHL's new Cloud Pavilion is the permanent version of the wildly successful 2013 Shanghai biennial installation, which was intended only to last for two months.

While the first iteration's ephemeral 20,000 white ropes have been replaced by steel rods and a glassed-in viewing area, the hope is that the initial free-floating feeling remains.

As Schmidt Hammer Lassen design partner Chris Hardie explains, "The new pavilion creates a singular space in the form of an extruded glass cloud. The cloud shape in plan directly relates to the cartoon like form associated with how a child would draw a cloud, and how clouds are often seen depicted in traditional Chinese prints. The cloud is considered a symbol of luck in ancient Chinese painting."

Here's a video showing the Pavilion and the context of its site:

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SHL's Shanghai Cloud Pavilion is a stunning glass and steel extrusion of a cartoon cloud