Baldacchino
Milano Design Week 2018
Installation on display in the courtyard of the Università degli Studi di Milano.
Entitled Baldacchino in reference to ornamental canopies above altars or thrones, Stanton Williams’ experimental 6m long pavilion interprets the House in Motion theme by giving physical form to the idea of movement through space. Stanton Williams’ pavilion combines space and movement to form a work of choreographic architecture that points to how permanent spaces are continually transformed and repurposed over time.
Architecturally, motion is achieved by spatially compressing a spiral pathway that is then ‘released’ at the focal point of the pavilion. Here, a baldacchino canopy of light hovers over a horizontal plane designed for pause and contemplation. To animate the pavilion, Stanton Williams has commissioned a dance performance choreographed by Thea Stanton. Taking place at 6,7&8pm on 16th and 17th April, the performance explores the dynamic ebb and flow of the Pavilion and a solitary dancer will challenge their body’s relationship with the architecture around them.
The 4m tall pavilion floats above a shallow reflective surface and is created using raw steel to emphasise the pavilion’s sculptural qualities. The raw steel was also chosen for its organic texture and the rich, varied appearance of its dark warm tones under natural and artificial lighting conditions.
Alan Stanton of Stanton Williams commented: “The experience created in the pavilion is that of a journey through spaces that expand and compress, where daylight and shadow are modulated through screens and openings. The movement of the visitor along this journey constitutes the dynamic element that confers a transient quality to the space captured within the pavilion”.
