Pulp Pavilion represents the culmination of five years of experiments with material composites using reclaimed paper. The result was a gathering space that was a respite from the sun and frenetic energy of the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in the California desert. It was an ideal place to view performances on two stages.
Historically inapplicable to architectural structure and considered disposable, paper exhibits unique sculptural capabilities when recycled into pulp. We designed a production process where a blend of pulp, water and pigment was sprayed onto a three dimensionally woven lattice of natural rope, hardening into a rigid, self-supporting matrix that is much lighter than materials of comparable strength. We employed no additional materials except for minimal “tree to tree” connections and seating.
The paper we used in the Pavilion was diverted from the waste stream and is cheaply available almost anywhere in the world. Unlike fiberglass or carbon fiber composites that are polymer based, the Pavilion contained no toxic materials; it could be recycled or composted after the two-week run of the festival.
The Pavilion was an ideal shelter for the dry air, heat, and intense sunlight of the desert but these climatic factors also provided the ideal conditions for producing the structure enabling the pulp to dry very quickly and saving a significant amount of time compared to cooler, more humid climates.
The pulp mixture was infused with colored pigment. In the evening, colored lighting illuminated the surface of the “trees” and a contrasting color emitted from within the columns. A custom program controlled the 28 integrated fixtures. The program slowly cycled through the spectrum and varied the saturation.
Because this construction system has no known precedent, to engineer it meant performing substantial material testing. We gathered empirical results from small-scale experiments and extrapolated them into design criteria for the final form and from this were able to predict the behavior of the structure under anticipated loads.
To our knowledge this is the first architectural application of this material and process. As a construction system it holds tremendous potential for temporary buildings in terms of lifecycle, costs, availability of materials, structural efficiency and aesthetics. With development it may be applicable to permanent structures.
Lead Artists and Principals in Charge: Benjamin Ball, Gaston Nogues
Project Manager: Rafael Sampaio Rocha
Ball-Nogues Project Team: Ricardo Garcia, John Guinn, Fernando Marroquin, Rafael Sampaio Rocha, Forster Rudolph, Corie Saxman, Nicole Semenova, Ethan Schwartz
Additional Ball-Nogues Support: Andrew Fastman, Michael Anthony Fontana, Cory Hill, James Jones, Mora Nabi, Jacob Patapoff, Allison Porterfield
Engineering Consultant: Nous Engineering, Omar Garza
Light Programming: Myles Sciotto
Lighting Supplier: Felix Lighting
Coachella Art Curator: Paul Clemente
