Schmidt Hammer Lassen has completed the Cloud Pavilion, a permanent exhibition and art pavilion on the banks of the HuangPu River in Shanghai, as part of the regeneration and development of the West Bund area. In 2013, SHL were commissioned by West Bund to create a series of pavilions as part of the West Bund Biennale of Art & Architecture, curated by renowned Chinese architect Zhang Yonghe, and architecture Professor and curator Li Xiangning.
The Cloud Pavilion, was an ephemeral pavilion consisting of two white surfaces and 20,000 pieces of white rope. Intended as a counterpoint to the heavy industrial cranes on the waterfront and as a place for contemplation and rest along the HuangPu River, the pavilion was designed to last for the 2 month duration of the Biennale. Due to the success of the pavilion it remained in place for over 2 years.
In 2015, the West Bund commissioned SHL to redesign the pavilion as a permanent space for art and events. The project brief was to maintain the steel structure of the original pavilion, create a minimium of 100m2 space for events and small exhibitions, provide a small kitchen with storage, and maintain the original notion from the Biennale pavilion of a 'cloud.'
"The new pavilion creates a singular space in the form of an extruded glass cloud," commented Chris Hardie, design partner at Schmidt Hammer Lassen. "The cloud shape in plan directly relates to the cartoon like form associated with how a child would draw a cloud, and how clouds are often seen depicted in traditional Chinese prints. The cloud is considered a symbol of luck in ancient Chinese painting.
"At night the ceiling is illuminated against a reflective mirrored surface giving the illusion of an abstract floating cloud along the riverfront, and acts as a marker for citizens to meet and rest."
Photography: Peter Dixie