A building’s entrance can set the tone. Three recent projects – by Tomás Amat Studio, Joko Avianto and Matali Crasset – have taken the idea to the next level, maximizing the entryway to create a point of arrival worthy of destination status.
In Alicante, Spain, the Tomás Amat studio used contoured wooden strips to build a sculptural sheath that ushers guests into a cultural space called Las Cigarreras. According to the architects, the project references the cicada, “an insect adapted to its environment,” divided into three sections representing the head, the body and the tail. Constructed by artist Manolo Garcia, the undulating access makes a playful foil for the project’s citrus-hued metal framework and white sections clad in Corian.
Indonesian artist Joko Avianto took inspiration from his homeland’s traditional craft and design, weaving 1,525 stalks of bamboo into an intricate canopy that frames the doorway of the Frankfurter Kunstverein museum. The temporary facade, juxtaposed against the austere exterior, is a whimsical teaser for an exhibition of contemporary art from Indonesia, spilling onto the street with the most visible component.
And in the village of Trébédan, in Brittany, France, Matali Crasset’s “tiny architectures” catalyze children’s creativity. Her activation of a century-old school through a series of wooden insertions is intended to spark movement and imagination. On the exterior, an open tunnel made of glulam welcomes students into the school, filtering the sun and casting artful shadows. “Let’s give them the desire to move, go outside, and interact with their environment,” says Crasset. Like any good entrance, her creations remind us “to learn how to look around and remain curious.”