Fifteen students from Florida International University’s School of Architecture presented their ideas for a multi-use, mobile art pavilion that would bring the arts to different South Florida communities as part of a partnership between FIU and Grace Arts Florida. Senior Instructor Claudia Busch led seven student teams from her Graduate Architecture Studio 9 to envision what the future pavilion might hold.  

The mobile art pavilion was inspired by the idea of re-imagining the Spanish Pavilion of 1937 for the 21st century. To achieve their visions, students worked with FIU’s Robotics and Digital Fabrication Lab to integrate robotics and advanced manufacturing technologies into their designs.

“The challenge was to imagine a pavilion that is a piece of art but also functional and innovative,” said Senior Instructor Claudia Busch. “The pavilion can be used at art fairs and public places installed either indoors or outdoors. It’s very versatile.”  

Of the seven student-proposed designs, the design of 315 square-foot dome-like structure was selected. The pavilion will consist of three layers with the outer one being made from a rigid metal frame to hold the fabric that encloses the pavilion and display walls designed to rotate to vary the closure of the piece and accommodate for art display and performance. The structure will also be weatherproof to address sustainability in terms of energy usage, renewable energy resources, and sustainable materials. The fabric envelope features ETFE solar coating to help reflect and diffuse direct solar radiation, optimizing temperature comfort inside. The pavilion will serve as an art display and performance venue showcasing popular short plays, pop-up events, and full-length dramas, and will generate more exposure for artists.

A collaborative team with Professor Busch – who is also a founding principal of architecture firm Berenblum Busch Architects – Professor Shahin Vassigh, Director of Research and Technology Development; Hadi Alhaffar, Research Associate of the Robotics & Digital Fabrication Lab; and Senior Instructor Eric Peterson will fabricate the pavilion to be on site in South Florida communities summer 2020. 

“I was happy to sponsor and participate in the studio, which was led by Claudia Busch,” said Grace Arts Florida Director, Clare Vickery. “Several of the region’s leading architects and contractors poured into the students and this project and we are very grateful for their input.” 

For more information about Mobile Art Pavilion, sponsorship opportunities and partnerships, please contact Clare Vickery of Grace Arts Florida at 954-816-3324 or via email at clare.m.vickery@att.net.  

ABOUT BERENBLUM BUSCH ARCHITECTS    

Berenblum Busch Architects is a Miami-based global architecture, planning and interior design firm improving the quality of spaces through human-centric design. Founded in 2010 by industry leaders Gustavo Berenblum and Claudia Busch, the firm offers clients a collaborative design process resulting in a bespoke response to their needs that is shaped by their identity and values and takes into consideration the unique physical and cultural context of the project. With over 40 years of joint experience, the principals work closely with their team of exceptional designers in a practice that places technology, function, sustainability and the betterment of the human experience at the center of its work. Visit bbamiami.com for more information, and follows us @bbamiami.

ABOUT GRACE ARTS FLORIDA

Grace Arts Center is a public charity that evolved from years of arts and cultural community outreach of Grace Café and Galleries, a retail art gallery, studio, coffee bar and pop-up café. The organization’s mission is to produce and present programs that identify emerging artists, embrace tradition, maintain excellence, and multidisciplinary projects sharing a variety of art forms from South Florida’s leading creating and scholarly communities to educate and entertain the public. For more information visit https://www.graceartscenter.org/

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