Pavilion Made From Recycled Shipping Pallets Was Built to Resemble Ruins

A few years ago, the architecture firm M:OFA Studios found a way to transform discarded shipping pallets into something beautiful. “Pensieve,” named after the magical memory basin from the Harry Potter series, featured more than 1200 wooden recyclables arranged to create a one-of-a-kind public space in New Delhi.

The 800-square-foot structure was erected as part of the India Design ID event in 2014 and taken down that same year. But according to inhabitat, the design was so memorable that it’s still being recognized for awards even though it’s no longer standing. Most recently, it was nominated for a 2016 Kohler Bold Design Award in the “Community Harmony” category.

The symmetrical pavilion was modeled after the ruins scattered throughout the city. The crates were stacked on top of one another—some were kept empty and others were filled with compost for growing grass and other plant life. According to M:OFA, the design was “based on the idea of unobstructed thoughts associated often with children.” The broken walls of New Dehli’s ruins are sometimes used as playgrounds by kids, and "Pensieve" was meant to evoke this same sense of playfulness. Once inside, visitors could lounge on the solar-powered furniture that lit up when occupied, or stroll among the 100 motion-activated fiber-optic light fixtures at night.

M:OFA will be bringing more of their innovative architecture to this year’s India Design ID. For their 2017 project, they’re creating “mega-structures” out of wood scraps that will resemble hills rising up from the earth.

[h/t inhabitat]