Designed as a series of interiors within an interior, the concentric pavilion conceived for the boutique brand AmiAmalia explores sequential spatial architectures. Planimetrically, the pavilion is composed of two concentric oval structures that define different exhibition areas.
The structure’s form is closely linked to the space – the multifunctional gallery at the ground floor of Palatul Universul, where the old printing house used to be – which becomes unfriendly in atmosphere for AmiAmalia’s message. ‘In a world of mass retail, pollution, unsustainable fast fashion, we dreamed of a brand built with responsibility and respect for the resources and people involved in the lifecycle of knitwear’ – says Amalia Săftoiu.
The pavilion’s architecture borrows a series of values from the AmiAmalia brand: sustainability, working with natural materials, attention to detail, creating a warm atmosphere, like a nurturing womb. The structures thus envelop the existing space in layers of cotton, delimiting a center (piazza) where visitors gather. Between the walls of the structure, ‘rooms’ separated by semi-transparent curtains describe the brand’s story: from different types of yarn to the knitting process, to the presentation of the most recognizable pieces.
The display structures with limestone plinths and stainless-steel stands suggest (in abstract) the solid foundation on which the pavilion arises. Thus, the contrast between the constitutive elements, as well as between the gallery and the pavilion, accentuates the transparency and delicacy of the ephemeral structures. A series of installations enrich the visitors’ journey: a composition with natural flowers created by Nocturn Flowers, the ‘Finally Together’ collaboration with artist Vlad Nancă, and the central installation – an oversized AmiAmalia dress placed on a limestone pedestal.
The entire scenography is modular, designed to be easily assembled, disassembled, and recomposed in different formulas for various future exhibition venues. As such, the ephemeral pavilion offers a response with greater potential: it becomes more than a simple structure, it lives beyond than for a single event.
Architecture: Elena Viziteu Ionescu, Anda Zota
Execution: Atelier Vast
Lighting design: GreenTek Lighting
Graphics: Otilia Mihalache Fiastru
Foto: Andrei Mărgulescu
