Ephemeral Architecture

Ephemeral, -out adj.
1 That does not last long.
2 That lasts only one day.

We would like to start this article on ephemeral architecture with classic dictionary definition. The ephemeral architecture has existed since the beginning of our story. However it has not received the attention or interest that you may have an architecture of permanence or greater durability.

Much of this type of architecture has its origins in the agricultural system, when we went from being nomadic to sedentary and began to weave a modern cultural system, dependent on the stability and permanence.

Before agriculture, humans lived as hunters and gatherers, and we were guided by good weather and we found the resources at our disposal, thus, architecture offered minimal comfort while allowing maximum mobility, freedom and flexibility. These structures were temporary, Laptop and Ephemeral.

The settlement of agriculture led to a new set of structural factors, buildings could remain "rooted" to a site and nearby plots were established on fertile land providing a comfortable place to spend the winter. Since then the permanence has remained a fundamental concept to understand the current architecture.

Nowadays, examining our natural environment, We can see that the people have a direct understanding of the natural cycles and obtains the relationship between time and nature, as flowering in spring, the coming and going of the leaves when the wind blows or the formation of a drop until it comes into contact with the ground. We could say that the ephemeral architecture is defined by its presentation to the forces of nature, however nature does not monopolize the ephemeral, works of art and architecture can also be expressed through the ephemeral.

Today ephemeral architecture could branch into two conceptions. The clearest and observed by all is an ephemeral architecture "pabellonización", where buildings are made to international fairs and exhibitions are brindadas more design opportunities, materialization experimentation and no other.

The other application that has the ephemeral architecture, no less important but maybe more discrete, It is of an architecture to support emergency conditions, in which the intervention design can help fix gaps caused by major natural disasters, as can be seen in several of the projects architect Shigeru Ban.

Although ephemeral architecture is developed through two different applications, both have a common goal, meet a specific need.

Examples: (both examples were designed as temporary structures and permanent works have come to be)

-"German Pavilion for the World Exhibition in Barcelona, 1929” Mies van der Rohe.
Ephemeral architecture of "Pabellonización"

-"Temple of takatori" Shigeru Ban.
Ephemeral Architecture emergency