step inside oana stănescu’s immersive, strawberry-shaped cocoon in logroño, spain

nested in plaza santa ana, the oversized, upside-down, and inside-out structure honors strawberry pickers and the estimated 1 million seasonal workers in agriculture across the EU.

lea zeitoun May 9, 2023 4 min

concéntrico 09 presents ‘fresa’ by Oana Stănescu

From April 27th to May 2nd, 20203, in Logroño, Spain, Concéntrico presented an extensive program for its ninth edition, with 21 interventions, meetings, and activities involving the work of more than 60 professionals from 15 different nationalities. This latest edition extended to new areas of the city, widening the object of its interventions from east to west: from the Plaza sin Nombre in the neighborhood of Madre de Dios to the Cubo; also from north to south: from the river Ebro to the new station park. Since 2015, the festival has carried out more than 100 urban installations, and one of the most eye-grabbing interventions this year, ‘Fresa’, belongs to Romanian architect Oana Stănescu — a strawberry-inspired structure that brings color and childlike wonder to the historical Plaza Santa Ana.

step inside oana stănescu's immersive, strawberry-shaped cocoon in logroño, spain - 1 — all images © Josema Cutillas -Concéntrico

an oversized, upside-down, and inside-out strawberry

An ode to the fruit, the earth, and the people that help bring this beloved fruit to the table and our lips, ‘Fresa’ by Oana Stănescu (see more here) is inspired by and dedicated to the strawberry pickers and estimated 1 million seasonal workers in agriculture across the EU. The intervention, supported by the Instituto Cultural Rumano of Madrid, unfolds as an oversized, upside-down, and inside-out strawberry nested in Logroño’s Plaza Santa Ana against the backdrop of Iglesia de Santa María de Palacio and the Parque infantil.

Material-wise, the architect opted for a soft plywood exoskeleton that gently contrasts with the smooth stone textures of the surrounding buildings. Complementing the wooden framework is a red-colored fabric enclosing the interiors of ‘Fresa’. Stănescu describes the experience as one steps inside her installation: ‘A small opening asks us to bow to discover the strawberry-like interior: a soft red cocoon with seed-shaped light rays. A rich and peaceful introverted space, foreign to the outside world. The structure cantilevers over Calle Marqués de San Nicolás, a contrasting tease visible from far ahead.’ Once seated inside, visitors also get to enjoy the playful movement of passing silhouettes.

step inside oana stănescu's immersive, strawberry-shaped cocoon in logroño, spain - 2 — ‘Fresa’ takes shape as an inverted, oversized, inside-out strawberry in Plaza Santa Ana

Oana Stănescu is a Romanian architect currently building in North America and Europe. Her studio’s work is, as she calls it, an ‘undisciplined’ collection of projects across scales, programs, and collaborators, always in the pursuit of the affect of physical space. She is based in New York and Berlin. Current projects of hers under construction include the reconversion of a ½ km long bridge in Reșița, Romania, a very long house in Canada, and an attic in the South of France. In addition, Stănescu is teaching at Harvard GSD and MIT in Cambridge, USA.