The Mangrove Pavilion draws inspiration from Mumbai’s endangered mangrove ecosystems—quiet guardians that protect the city’s edge between land and sea. Branching columns rise like porous mangrove roots, lifting the pavilion lightly above the ground while extending into benches that invite rest and gathering. Open to air, light and rain, the structure breathes with its surroundings, offering a calm counterpoint to the city’s relentless growth.
Conceived as a threshold between chaos and calm, the pavilion translates root, stem and foliage into inhabitable form. Its self-supporting structure creates a gentle labyrinth that encourages improvisation—children weave through branches, visitors linger, performances unfold naturally. A narrow reflective stream recalls the tidal waters sustaining Mumbai’s wetlands, mirroring sky, foliage and people alike. Built from recycled steel pipes and reclaimed wood sourced from shipping pallets, industrial waste and construction refuse, the pavilion follows a circular, modular logic. Flat-packable and reconfigurable, it can be relocated, reused or donated, extending its life beyond the festival while foregrounding ecological awareness and material reuse.