07_SPECTRA Pop-Up PRIDE Pavilion - Competition Design LFA London UK 19

Part of the Design team of WEA Architects for the PRIDE Pop-Up Competition (LFA_UK London 2019).

Pride recognises and celebrates the spectrum of sexuality and the beauty of diversity. In a political age where boundaries are increasingly used for control, and divisions between communities and countries are being imposed, it is crucial we come together as individuals to create a society which embraces freedom, inclusion, and self-expression.

Exploring this concept through a physical form, SPECTRA is an installation comprising of individual elements with differing visual impact, composed in a way which celebrates their collective effect. A simple, rectilinear frame is hung with layers of scaffolding mesh fabric at regular spacing to define a primary rectangular volume. The semi-transparent nature of the fabric and the gaps between the layers provide views and glimpses through this rectangular volume to the crowd on the opposite side, encouraging momentary connections and subverting the initial perception of solidity. Cutting through the length if the fabric volume, a light and fragile void carves a passage for individuals auto dance and celebrate on the float pavilion, their silhouettes becoming more distinct or more blurred as they move between the ephemeral layers.Reflecting the shifting spectrum of sexuality and the LGBTQ+ community, the fabric panels are painted to represent the many hues of society.