“a dream of what thou wast …. a breath, a bubble.” ­ —William Shakespeare, Richard III

The inflatable is a stand-in for temporariness, playfulness, lightness, and transitory situations. PlayCloud explores the narrative potential of a pneumatic and fabric structure. We are not only looking for the utopian implications of the pavilion, but also investing in a practical and sustainable solution for City of Dreams Pavilion.

left: Jean Chardin, Soap Bubbles, 1794. / middle: Mongolfier’s balloon at Versaille, 1783. / right: Unknown

This proposal starts from the site-specific characteristics of the temporary pavilion. Governors Island, 800 yards from Manhattan, was closed to the public until 2004. Additionally, it has a flat landscape without landmarks, such as the Statue of Liberty on Liberty Island. To overcome the public’s low awareness of the island, we propose that an artificial cloud pavilion be built. It would consist of an inflatable structure and yarn . People would be able to see this approximately 40-foot floating cloud from many high-rise buildings in lower Manhattan and other neighboring islands. This pavilion would not only define the site’s cultural boundaries but also promote the Pigment Festival, stimulating people’s curiosity.

PLAYFULNESS : PlayCloud aims to interact with people. People are allowed not only to touch the inflatable structure but also to sit and lean on it. All these interactions with the inflatable structure produce changes in air pressure, causing the structure to gently sway. Moreover, the yarn curtain would create an illusion between the structure and the people using the space. Its transparency, translucency, and opaqueness would be determined by the threads’ density and by human activity. People touch the curtain and control the degree of openness as the occasion arises. It gives a chance to play with concealing and revealing. Playcloud also aims to interact with its surrounding environment. The pavilion would actively and physically engage the installation’s environment. Air structure would gently sway it horizontally with the wind. It would also expand and contract with air pressure and temperature, appearing almost to breathe. The movement of the inflatable structure would cause yarns hanging from the balloon to sway. This subtle motion of the pavilion would be reminiscent of a swimming jellyfish.

LIGHTNESS : PlayCloud is architecture of air consisting of a thin skin. The light structure makes the pavilion sustainable. It would not require a thick foundation, as it would be a light, freestanding structure; therefore, a temporary pavilion would be built without damaging historic site conditions. The transport and storage volumes of the inflatable structure are minimal. The size of the materials used for this pavilion can be significantly reduced and fit in a 3.2 cubic foot box when the materials are transported. Portability and lightness of material not only make it easy to move to the island but also save on energy for transportation.