In atmospheres, Peter Zumthor addresses his
ideologies about the “magic of the real”, he
emphasizes the sensory aspects of
architecture. In the project to create an
architecture full of senses, Peter Zumthor’s
approach in the Swiss Sound Box (or sound
pavilion) exemplifies the notions through its
approach in design, purpose and overall
context. The sound box focuses on the
emotional response that can evoke through
simple means. It’s a temporary space that has
Figure 1: Structural Model of the Swiss Pavilion.
a concept referred to as “the wood yard”,
was a direct conceptual and logistical
response of the design problems by creating
an atmosphere generated intentionally by
taking a set of decisions. Zumthor believes that his buildings, and especially
the Sound Box, are a little more than a giant
architectural armory. The pavilion was assembled
The Swiss Sound Pavilion has a body that by friction and compression, without using a single
follows the theme of man, nature and screw or nail. It was built to be easily adjusted
technology; the reality of the structure could based on the dimensional movement of the wood.
be easily dismantled at the end of the All beams were the same size and were bound by
exposition. The Pavilion is a series of wooden straps and steel spring, making the change of
‘walls’ that creates a kind of labyrinth, dimension of wood compatible with the daily
creating rooms. The spaces created are nature of the building.
permeable to the rain, wind and sun, which
was achieved by creating a grid of timber
beams forming a box.
Figure 2: Interior Labyrinth if the
Pavilion
Figure 3: Roof Construction
Components.
Zumthor compared the interiors to
large instruments, that collects the
sound, and transmits it somewhere
else. “The sound of the city can be
very loud, but when you’re inside, it’s
like a protective sound of ocean”.
Inside, we notice the different kinds
of silence. It’s a space where the
building itself is the performance,
constantly changing by the paths
taken by the visitors, the elements,
and the sound throughout. It earns its
name with the gaps between the
wooden structure forming the wall,
as they allow rain, wind, light and
view to pass through, while also
Figure 5: Musicians in the Sound Box.
providing the perfect path of sound
throughout the structure.
The temperature of the pavilion
adjusted to what was needed, when it
was hot outside, entering the pavilion,
we are able to sense the coolness
inside, and when cold outside, the
inside was warmer. The use of certain
materials, is what affected the
temperature of the space.
Temperature is no only physical, but
psychological too.
Figure 4: The building plan illustrates the high
consistency of slightly adjusted modules that rely on
a system of a weave. The permeable structure of the
walls afforded a wide-range enjoyment of the musical
performances.
In there you can hear the
combination of different sounds;
the sound of cutting boards, spoons
hitting on plates… it’s the sound of
the visitors, the classic sound of rain
drops on the metal roof, and lastly, Figure 6: Section showing the passage of light from
the top.
musicians, responding to the world
around them.
Peter studied the mise-en-scene of the The spontaneous gaps formed when shifting,
pavilion through the multiple rooms in enable to access shorter routes between the
the Swiss Sound Box formed by the units compared to the routes around, which
stacks, each stack did two jobs at the creates a comfortable circulation for visitors.
same time, it connected the With an open ended plan, there is no rule for
atmosphere, but separated the lively circulation, adding the entrances that serve as
space, to create a “sense of home”. He exits as well. The circulation in the pavilion have
embraced spaces that many architects dual roles. Performance spaces were also used as
would hide leaving a result as if, the narrow passages, creating a dynamic space
building was left incomplete in an especially with the presence of the long vertical
intentional way, the space formed by modules, adding an experience of an acoustic of
the surroundings seem to welcome the multiple performances. And lastly, the dining
experience of the entire world spaces where visitors are able to sit longer in a
throughout and around the pavilion. wider spaces without creating a traffic of people.
Figure 8: Circulation map.
To wrap everything up, we can say that
Peter Zumthor found the harmonious
residence between building, inhabitance
and the natural world that we exist within,
Figure 7: Procedural Sketch; Mise-en-scene.
then creating a valuable statement about a
more thoughtful, sympathetic architecture.
The Swiss Pavilion represented the
ideologies of Zumthor in every aspect,
having end structures providing us with
surroundings with the magic of the real
effortlessly and beautifully; using almost
one material: wood.
