bona fide taller erects an ephemeral living room in the streets of valencia

prime-time PAVILION at fallas de valencia 2021

bona fide taller designed an intimate room-like pavilion as part of the traditional ‘fallas de valencia’ festival in march 2021. called ‘prime-time’, the falla was an ephemeral intervention in the public space. it was designed to be occupied and inhabited before it was finally set on fire at midnight on march 19, as is tradition on the final night of the valencian festival to welcome the forthcoming spring.

images by oleh kardash horlay

in the city there’s a forest, and in the forest there’s a room

from the long elevation, the pavilion appeared like one long billboard. printed tree trunks taken from a joaquin sorolla painting covered the timber structure to create the idea of a forest in the city. and when curious passersby approached the pavilion, they discovered that in the forest there’s a hidden chamber. 

this room was reached via a path of concrete and five wooden steps. once inside, visitors found an intimate, homely space furnished with a few traditional bulrush chairs. from here, they could look out from the balcony over a tree-lined avenue and the fallas de valencia festivities. 

the project references an inscription on the silk exchange, a UNESCO-listed gothic-style building in valencia that dates back to the late 15th century. the inscription reads, ‘try and see, fellow-citizens, how negotiation is such a good thing when there is no lie in the speech, when it swears to the neighbor and does not deceive him, when it does not lend money with an interest charge for its use. the merchant who acts this way will prosper galore and at the end he will enjoy the eternal life.’

echoing this inscription, the architect says, ‘a silent billboard whispers, to those who trade with las fallas, with what it is shared and of identitarian nature, delicate and of great value. those who are at the same time able to exploit the fruits without pulling up the roots. that they will be filled with fortune and joy.’

prime-time was built alongside craftsman and luthier cristian reinosa johnson and assembled in place with a number of generous volunteers. the structure was awarded second prize in the category of ‘experimental fallas’ during the 2021 festival in valencia, spain.

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project info:

name: ephemeral pavilion

location: valencia, spain
architecture: bona fide taller

photography: oleh kardash horlay

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