Antepavilion, GB

The proposal aims to redefine the meaning and appearance of the ‘Aylesbury flat excavation site’ within the urban fabric. The triangular shaped plot, situated at the end of a row of terraced houses, is currently reserved for the display of art. It is enclosed by mesh wire on concrete posts and seems to be abandoned.
A main objective is to change the perception of the site; creating a frame that is protective whilst rousing interest as to what is happening inside. As a conceptual reference, we were intrigued by a scene from the film ‘HELP!’. In this scene, John, Paul, George and Ringo enter a row of working class houses by their individual front doors. In the following scene, the different houses appear to be all internally connected. The doors were an entrance to a fascinating loft-like communal living environment. In a figurative sense, a similar spatial setting couldbe applied to the site on Page’s Walk.
The design responds to the rather abrupt ending of the housing block along Page's Walk and prolongs the elevation up to the end of the street. As an abstraction of the existing housing façade, a wooden construction is built with the provided resources (timber laths). The form of the construction allows for the integration of selected filling materials, in particular the reclaimed bricks. The remaining perimeter of the plot is enclosed by a continuing, but lower wooden
framework. The proposed fillings add different grades of transparency and a certain ornamental beauty to façade and fence. The inherent ecological quality of the site is enhanced by a planting concept. It can become a small arboretum of pioneer trees (e.g. birch) and/or a refuge for trees that have fallen out of favour at other places in the city (reused greenery).