Following up from our news back in March this year about the selection of Ball-Nogues Studio as the architect for this year's Pavillon Speciale, we now bring you news and photos of the completed installation. Press release follows...

The Ecole Spéciale d’Architecture in Paris this evening; with the presence of Benjamin Ball and students from the 6th Semester Atelier 3x of the Ecole Speciale, inaugurated the 2012 Ball-Noges studio ‘Pavillon Speciale’. This marks the 2nd edition of the summer architecture series that gives young emerging international architects the opportunity to build with students a temporary project in the heart of Paris. Curated and conceived by Matteo Cainer in the summer of 2010, the series is an ongoing program of innovative temporary structures built by emerging international architects under the age of 45. Once a year, students of the Ecole Spéciale d’Architecture have the opportunity to build, along side the selected architect, a new experimental pavilion for the large rectangular outdoor garden that is an essential part of the School. The uniqueness of the “Pavillon Spéciale” is that it establishes a bridge between the architectural profession and academia, becoming therefore an integral part of the educational program of the school. 

Architect:
The Pavilion is a unique structure, in architecture terminology; the phrase that describes a system whose form is derived from the deformation of its materials under force is “form active.” This type of structure is difficult to study using software. It often requires architects to explore their designs by testing full-scale mock-ups, and using that empirical information to help inform the process of digital modelling, which is studied in the studio rather than in the field.

The structure is comprised of approximately 200 “cells”, each made from locally sourced plastic tubing that will be bent and curled in custom jigs designed and constructed by students.  To provide shade, each cell will have a locally sourced sheet material spanning between the tubes within it. The cell module is a very effective way of constructing a temporary structure: each can be transported as a flat unit and rapidly assembled on site; when it is time for the structure to come down, dismantling and transportation to a new site is easy.

Location
Ecole Spéciale d'Architecture
254 Boulevard Raspail  
75014 Paris, France
http://www.esa-paris.fr

Curator Pavillon Speciale: Matteo Cainer

Project:  Ball Nogues Studio, Los Angeles, United States 
Studio Assistant: Baptiste Bonijoly

Ecole Spéciale Students:
Antoniotti Bruno, Bellanger Alexandra, Bennis Selim, Boinot Julien, Bruel Laura, Budin Olivier, Cargill Maxime, Claudet Ariel De Lacvivier Matthieu, Delalande Nicolas, Dubois Nina, Ducroux Hubert, Fishler Raphael, Fournier Adrien, Haudrechy Felix, Hudson Leo, Lambert Pierre, Liagre Victoire, Maleyrat Jean, Merle Daubigne Ariane, Mougel Raphael, Noury Pola, Pradeau Pauline, Seguin Pauline, Veryra Camille, Wertheimer Astrid.