Glass Pavilion

In our design, we propose to plant a magnolia tree in Tampere, Finland. An intelligent glass dome complete with ventilation, shading and lighting provides this tree with a warmer, more species-specific climate. The air exhaust of the parking garage below, to which the dome-like glass pavilion acts as an entrance, provides additional heating during the cold, dark winter months. The dome has its own microclimate fine-tuned using the technical abilities provided by its glazed surfaces. The magnolia will be nurtured to burst into magnificent bright pink blossom by the first of May annually. Its strong perfumed scent will fill the pavilion, and on some spring days the scent might even flow all the way down to the parking garage.

Architecturally the project uses the most obvious, simple qualities that glass has. Transparency is used to provide the tree with sunlight, reflections dissolve the dome into the surrounding foliage and refractions magnify the bright pink blossoms of the magnolia onto the full undulating dome. These spherically extruded surfaces create a variety of illusions whilst relating to the traditions of sand, soda and chalk melted down and blown into fantastic shapes.

The glass used in the dome is melted into shape by gravitation. A flat pane is placed on a simple triangular frame and melted into its distinctive spherical, double curved shape. This process is similar to the process often seen in windscreen manufacturing. Each pane has a maximum dimension of 2,600 mm to fit into an autoclave for laminating. The structural steel frame is a domed form consisting of straight t-shaped profiles, which are braced through the tree with steel wires. This bracing allows for a much thinner steel structure overall.

With its natural forms and movement, the tree contrasts beautifully with the exactness of the glass structure that envelopes it. The magnolia tree will give the plaza a softer image in the center of industrial Tampere.