Based in New Delhi, architecture firm Mofa Studios turned to India’s storied history to design an incredibly unique pavilion constructed almost entirely of recycled wooden pallets. Inspired by the country’s ancient ruins and the memory-reviewing edifice from the Harry Potter books, Mofa even tabbed the J.K. Rowling classic series for the shelter’s name: The Pensieve. While the source material remains intriguing, its use of more than 1,000 pallets stands as the structure’s most astonishing feat. Unfortunately, the installation only remained on-site temporarily, officially coming down in 2014.
So, why is it relevant today? Because the Pensieve keeps racking up award wins. Most recently, Kohler nominated the structure for its Bold Design Awards 2016 in the category of Community Harmony. To the Pensieve’s credit, the designers built the installation facilitate contemplation and to appreciate one’s surroundings. To allow it to fit into its surroundings better, Mofa turned to the use of compost to help promote the growing of grass. The finished product screams zen.
“The concept initiated from the basic idea of ‘fluid’ thoughts,” Mofa said of the project, to Inhabitat. “Built out of recycled wood, this pavilion was asked on the idea of unobstructed thoughts associated often with the children. The pavilion became a reminder of those simpler times, where the kids looked at the world beyond a 4-inch by 3-inchh display screen in their hands.”
The firm designed the build to feature asymmetrically stacked pallets to help give the installation the look and feel of a ripple — asymmetry is also something the country’s ancient ruins had in spades. By utilizing each pallet’s rectangular shape, Mofa successfully created an ebbing and flowing arrangement that’s as peaceful to look at as it likely was to stand in. While the pavilion’s since come down, the project’s pictures — and frequency in award circles — allow its beauty to live longer than its rather short lifespan.
