From quiet spaces of reflection to vibrant centres of activity, pavilions invite us to see architecture as more than shelter or framing of spatial thresholds. These structures serve as playgrounds for creativity and expression, exploring how design can connect us with the broader community, nature and even larger societal issues. This year, a range of projects across the world showcased how these fleeting structures can encourage self-awareness, collective engagement and meaningful dialogue.

From Yinka Ilori’s poignant reflection on accountability to Rio Kobayashi’s exploration of craft at the London Design Festival, these pavilions encapsulate unique narratives while fostering potential for radical reflections, both under and beyond their space frames. Similarly, Wutopia Lab’s whimsical reimagining of a trellis in China offers a poetic lens into how architectural pavilions can breathe new life into forgotten spaces. Together, they present a tapestry of ideas that shape our built environment, and how we perceive and engage with it.

1. Emerald Screen Pergola by Wutopia Lab

Wutopia Lab’s Emerald Screen Pergola transforms a derelict steel trellis into a whimsical, magical-realism-inspired promenade in Wuxi, China. Chief architect Yu Ting draws from the cultural symbolism of classical Chinese garden trellises, blending tradition with modernity to create dynamic spaces that open, close and overlap like the fleeting movements of nature. At the heart of this 1.2km intervention is a grand pavilion with petal-like arches evoking the sacred geometry of ancient temples. As visitors walk through the sinuous canopy, the interplay of light and shadow fosters a meditative sensory experience, urging them to pause and reconnect with the surrounding ecology.

2. Off The Shelf by Rio Kobayashi

Set within London’s Olympia district, Rio Kobayashi’s Off The Shelf pavilion for the London Design Festival 2024 bridges traditional Japanese craft with contemporary engineering. Built in collaboration with Webb Yates, the modular wooden grid serves as a hub for exhibitions, cultural programming, and contemplative experiences. The pavilion architecture reflects Olympia’s regeneration master plan, offering a platform for dialogue and creative exchange. With its adaptable design, the installation underscores the intersection of heritage and innovation, inviting visitors to engage with the evolving identity of the space.

3. The Footprint No. 2 by Housescape Design Lab

In Chiang Mai, Thailand, The Footprint No. 2 by Housescape Design Lab redefines the implications of shelter by blending seamlessly into its natural surroundings. A wooden shingle roof, shaded by a 160-year-old raintree, creates a minimal yet striking presence within rice fields and irrigation channels. A water channel runs through the space, uniting water, landscape and architecture. To minimise disruption, the architects excavated the site instead of building above ground. Inspired by ‘เลี้ยงผีฝาย’ (Liang Phi Fai), a local ritual offering to dam spirits, the design reflects the cultural and ecological traditions of Southeast Asia. Stone seating and the water channel create a space for reflection, where visitors connect with the land’s natural rhythms. “We often see the creation of ritual objects made from various materials according to the local landscape through which the irrigation channels flow. Here, we bring these common materials to life, in a place where the sound of water flowing under the force of the earth echoes through this hollow,” the architects note, emphasising how the design honours local practices while fostering a deeper relationship between people and the environment.

4. Archipelagic Void by Minsuk Cho

In London, Archipelagic Void by South Korean architect Minsuk Cho redefines the pavilion as a dynamic cultural landscape rather than a static structure. Conceived as a metaphor for the fragmented and fluid nature of Korean architecture, the 2024 Serpentine Pavilion is formulated in a five-part series of interconnected islands made of lightweight, translucent materials hovering overground. Visitors navigate the pavilion through pathways that evoke tidal shifts, symbolising the tensions between isolation and connection. The design’s openness fosters collective interactions while leaving space for individual reflection, echoing Cho’s broader exploration of the void as a place for both absence and infinite potential.

5. Situations of Being by Veintedoce Arquitectura and Localista

Set in Mexicali, Baja California, Situations of Being is a pavilion that transcends its physical form to attempt and frame social and public behaviour through simulating situations that allude to its title - being. Developed in collaboration with Universidad Autónoma de Baja California (UABC), the structure draws heavily from Christopher Alexander’s seminal work, A Pattern Language and A Timeless Way of Building.

The pavilion design serves as a nexus for dialogue and reflection, hosting conversations around the author’s theories between architects, philosophers, and urbanists. Patterns like ‘Positive Outdoor Space’ are brought to life, with the design exploring elemental human activities such as sitting, observing, feeling awe, and sharing moments of silence. Rooted in a cultural and historical context, the pavilion also connects to the region’s experimental housing project El Sitio, offering a setting that is as much about contemplation as it is about collaboration.

6. Reflection in Numbers by Yinka Ilori

British-Nigerian designer Yinka Ilori’s Reflection in Numbers pavilion at Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin tackles themes of accountability and racism in sports. Shaped like a stadium, the circular structure features mirrors that prompt introspection and multiply the viewer’s presence, symbolising the scrutiny faced by football players subject to racial abuse. Ilori’s intervention coincided with UEFA EURO 2024 and was part of the Ballet of the Masses—On Football and Catharsis, a festival exploring football as both an aesthetic and socio-political practice. The pavilion’s immersive design serves as a critical reminder of societal inequalities, calling for accountability within and beyond the realm of sports.

Each of these pavilions serves as a microcosm of larger themes: ecology, accountability, tradition and sensory experiences, challenging us to rethink the spaces we inhabit. Whether through patterns, magical realism or the quiet power of introspection, these structures remind us that architecture can be a medium for connection and transformation.

STIRred 2024 wraps up the year with curated compilations of our expansive art, architecture and design coverage at STIR this year. Did your favourites make the list? Tell us in the comments!