Canopy Dialogue introduces a temporary pavilion designed through computational form-finding, responding directly to the existing trees and social life of Plaça de la Virreina.
| SITE LOCATION |
The project is located in Plaça de la Virreina, Gràcia, Barcelona, a dense urban plaza defined by strong pedestrian flows, tree rows, and community activity.
| SITE PICTURES |
The plaza is framed by mature trees, religious architecture, and everyday social use. These elements became fixed constraints rather than obstacles to design.
| REFERENTIAL WORK |
Frei Otto’s tensile structures informed the design approach—prioritizing force-driven geometry, material efficiency, and structures shaped by environmental conditions rather than imposed forms.
| FORM-FINDING |
The initial idea explored a conventional tensile tent placed centrally in the plaza, acting as a simple shading structure.
Openings were introduced by subtracting geometry around existing trees, allowing vegetation to actively shape the form of the pavilion.
The canopy expanded beyond the center, wrapping across the plaza and engaging multiple tree clusters to create a porous, continuous surface.
| WORK-FLOW DIAGRAM |
A Grasshopper-based pseudo-code workflow illustrates the process:
surface definition → grid subdivision → tree constraints → mesh deformation → form-finding → structural framing → final geometry.
| DECONSTRUCTION |
Key parameters include plaza dimensions, grid resolution, tree coordinates, mesh relaxation forces, and structural logic—making the system adaptable and repeatable.
| FORM-FINDING |
VERSION 1
Early mesh studies tested canopy height, curvature, and tree interaction at a smaller scale.
VERSION 2
Refined iterations increased continuity across the site while maintaining clear openings around tree crowns.
FINAL VERSION
The final geometry balances tension, openness, and structural clarity—fully shaped by tree placement and boundary conditions.
| ANIMATION |
| FINAL RENDERINGS |
The pavilion becomes an active social canopy filtering light, framing market activity, and integrating seamlessly with the plaza.
