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New York ^[4]‘s P.S.1 ^[5] gallery is gearing up for it’s annual Warm Up music festival with a competition to select the outdoor pavilion design ^[6] that will be the icing on a cake filled with art, tunes and great company. While they did not win this year, BIG Architects ^[7] definitely brought their A-game. They envisioned the modern museum’s courtyard as a bubbly cloudscape made of recycled PVC that could even be re-recycled into limited edition messenger bags to commemorate the event! While we’re sad that they didn’t win, we love their ideas – read on to see how they planned to turn this lofty summer paradise ^[8] into a sustainable reality.

“Building something in order to tear it down three months later seems like the epitome of excess and wastefulness,” says BIG ^[9] in their proposal. Unsatisfied with the typical model of temporary exhibitions, they came up with a structure that “creates maximum impact with a minimum of means, where human life unfolds to the fullest with minimum material expense.” Their cloudscape consists of 99.9% air formed by modular balls that congregate to make areas for sitting, playing, mingling and even swimming! The fabric used to make the cloudscape would be translucent recycled ^[10] PVC, recovered from recycled truck bed covers and bags.

While the cloud theme would stay consistent throughout the space, it would be divided into three distinct areas – a bubbly dune in the main courtyard, including an air mattress and a paddling pool surrounded by bouncy seating; a 3D cumulus landscape with a covered chill out area of air mattresses and beanbags as well as a shaded bar for staff and guests; and a cluster of free floating cirrus clouds above the dance floor.

+ BIG ^[7]

+ P.S. 1 ^[5]