Smiljan Radic may be best known for his 2014 Serpentine Pavilion in London, which resembled a seedpod resting on a group of flattened boulders. That left an impression of Radic, a RECORD Design Vanguard honoree in 2008, as a creator of primitive sculptural forms. But his latest building, a theater in Concepción, Chile, some 300 miles south of Santiago, explores a very different idiom, with a gridded concrete structure supporting a nearly rectilinear shell.
Asked about the dissimilarities, Radic said, “I don’t really care too much about the shapes of buildings. I start with the materials, and the atmosphere I want to create.” In this case, the primary material is PTFE, a Teflon-coated fiberglass. It’s not generally used for institutional buildings, Radic says, “because it seems impermanent, like a circus tent.” But that’s precisely what Radic was aiming for. The tentlike enclosure (less than an inch thick) would signal to residents of Concepción, heavily damaged in Chile’s 2010 earthquake, that this was a place for socializing and for fun, Radic explains. Of course the new building meets stringent seismic codes.
You have 0 complimentary articles remaining.
Unlimited access + premium benefits for as low as $1.99/month.