Most public pavilions feel like architectural afterthoughts, planted in parks and plazas with little consideration for how people actually want to use them. You get what the designer decided you needed, whether that’s a cramped shelter during a downpour or an overly exposed seating area under the blazing sun. The space dictates your experience, not the other way around.
Michael Jantzen’s Radius Transformation Pavilion completely reverses this dynamic by putting control directly into the hands of its users. This isn’t just another pretty structure to admire from a distance. Instead, it’s a hands-on architectural playground where visitors become co-designers, physically reshaping their environment with nothing more than a gentle push.
Designer: Michael Jantzen
The magic happens through six wedge-shaped steel segments that radiate from a central column like petals on a mechanical flower. Each segment rolls on rubber wheels, making them surprisingly easy to move despite their substantial size. The varying dimensions create natural relationships between the pieces, while built-in benches ensure you always have somewhere comfortable to sit and contemplate your handiwork.
What’s fascinating is how the pavilion transforms with each adjustment. Push the segments together and you create intimate, enclosed spaces perfect for private conversations or shelter from the elements. Spread them wide, and the structure opens into an expansive gathering area that welcomes larger groups. The possibilities multiply exponentially as you discover configurations that feel completely unique.
Light becomes a dynamic element that changes with every movement. Large openings cut through each segment create shifting patterns of shadow and brightness as the structure evolves throughout the day. The interplay between solid surfaces and voids means the pavilion never looks the same twice, even under identical lighting conditions.
Solar panels mounted on the central column power artificial lighting after dark, turning the pavilion into a glowing beacon that maintains its functionality around the clock. This sustainable approach eliminates the need for external power connections while reinforcing the structure’s independence from traditional infrastructure. The self-sufficient design feels particularly appropriate for remote or temporary installations.
The visual impact shifts dramatically depending on the current configuration. When segments cluster tightly together, the pavilion resembles a protective shell with metallic surfaces that catch and reflect surrounding light. In its most open arrangement, it becomes an airy framework that seems to dance across the landscape with surprising grace and lightness.
Jantzen hints at even broader applications, suggesting the segments could be enclosed to create temporary housing or specialized event spaces. This flexibility reflects his belief that architecture should adapt continuously rather than remaining frozen in a single form. The pavilion becomes a living system that grows and changes with its community’s needs.
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