Spatial Praxes has designed a cement pavilion inspired by archetypal villages for Cement Design in Shanghai, China.

Inspired by the form of traditional villages, sought to juxtapose the fleeting nature of the pavilion with a timeless element of a community: a public sphere where its inhabitants converge and where memories are forged.

The design embraces the makeshift clustering of buildings observed in traditional villages, which tend to culminate coherently around a large open public space. The pavilion comprises three cement houses with inward-sloping roofs featuring entrances and galleries for displaying products.

At the heart of the pavilion lies a large opening that alleviates the density along the perimeter and serves as a public gathering space for product demonstrations and exchanges.

A textured ring wall links the houses into a unified whole while giving a tangible form to the public sphere. Lifted 600 millimetres above the ground, the wall obstructs direct sight into the interior while evoking a sense of curiosity by revealing only the footsteps within.

In an event that anticipates tens of thousands of visitors, each with but a few minutes or seconds to explore each stand, the Cement Design pavilion offers a temporary public square where guests are invited to linger and form lasting connections, even if only for a brief moment.

This project has been shortlisted in the exhibition design interior category of Dezeen Awards China 2024.

Studio: Spatial Praxes
Project: Villages and Memory – Cement Pavilion
Credits: Cement Design