Edge Assemblies

Edge Assemblies is a prototype for a civic architecture of economy. Built from a single pallet of plywood sheets, the pavilion demonstrates how minimal material and structural means can generate a rich public space. Installed at the meeting point of a pedestrian zone and a busy urban street in Logroño, Spain, it creates a place for gathering, pause, and encounter through a simple system of interlocking elements.

The pavilion is a circular structure composed of plywood panels that slot into one another to form a shared interior space. Open and porous at ground level, it can be entered from all sides. Rising above its surroundings as a compact vertical figure, it establishes a clear presence within the city while remaining permeable and accessible. Moving through it, the space gradually compresses and opens upward, creating a moment of spatial surprise as the sky is framed above. Integrated seating invites pause, turning the structure into a place to rest, gather, and observe.

Constructed from off-the-shelf plywood sheets used at their full size, the project minimizes cutting, waste, production cost, and transport volume. Each panel slots into the next in an irregular arrangement, forming a stable assembly through simple connection details. The elements are treated with a stain derived from grape pomace, giving the wood a deep red tone while transforming a by-product of La Rioja's wine industry into an architectural finish.

Organized as a vertical gradient, the structure remains open and accessible at its base while the upper ring consolidates into a denser enclosure that provides shade and defines the spatial experience. From a distance, the pavilion reads as a compact urban figure; from within, it unfolds as a sequence of thresholds, framed views, and changing relationships to light, sky, and the surrounding city. Rather than relying on complex detailing, it produces a rich range of spatial effects through the careful arrangement of repeatable elements.

Location: Logroño, Spain / Program: Pavilion / Year: 2026 / Commissioned by Concéntrico Festival / Project team: Juergen Benson-Strohmayer (principal), Akash Deep / Fabricator: Spigo Group / Supported by: Concéntrico Festival, Austrian Cultural Forum Madrid, Spigo Group / Photography by Juergen Benson-Strohmayer

Selected press: Wallpaper*