Local studio K+M Arquitectura y Urbanismo has completed the Espacio Libertad Pavilion, a red wooden pavilion that provides an “open stage” for a long-standing cultural institution in Lima, Peru.
A wooden pergola fills a 700-square-meter courtyard behind a neoclassical mansion in the Millaflores district, home to the headquarters of the French cultural association Alianza França de Lima.
Measuring more than seven meters high and matching the roofline of its neighbour, which was given heritage status in 2007, the “contemporary shelter” also aims to give the association a new presence on the street and serve as a meeting place for the Franco-Peruvian community. .
The pavilion’s enclosure consists of 20 pillar-shaped columns running around its perimeter. A 14-metre long cross-beamed canopy is fixed to the columns with metal joints.
The structure is covered in a thick layer of clear polycarbonate, which protects the space from sun and rain, and features curtains that can be retracted to create barriers for shows or concerts.
“We were looking for an intervention that not only provides a multi-purpose space, but also creates a new façade for the building when viewed from the road,” said Marta Morelli, co-founder of K+M Arquitectura y Urbanismo.
Morelli added: “The strategy was not to disturb the existing building, but to introduce a new contemporary structure. The pavilion creates a dialogue with its neighbor through its height and the rhythm of the vertical elements, without competing with it.”
The pergola is placed in the middle of a new garden that includes paving, new planted areas, shrubs and plants designed to improve the ‘ecological quality’ of the yard.
The structure is laminated wood and made of pine imported from Chile and stained dark red using natural oils. The color reflects the association’s branding and architectural features in the main building, such as the exterior columns.
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According to Morelli, glulam is not widely used in Perum but was chosen due to the material’s longevity and limited maintenance requirements. The studio worked with wood fabricators to hide the structural reinforcements and joints in the assembly.
K+M Arquitectura y Urbanismo received the commission after being invited to participate in a special competition run by Alianza Francesa de Lima. The brief was open-ended, and the studio was simply asked to adapt the courtyard to become a cultural space for various events and activities, Morelli said.
“This project has given birth to a new cultural centre, which functions as an ‘open theatre’ – literally and figuratively. It not only hosts open-air performances, plays, talks and concerts, but also provides a free and open platform for a wide range of Cultural and artistic interventions that may not fit into traditional spaces such as galleries, theaters or concert halls.”
“By doing so, Espacio Libertad has exceeded expectations and enriched the cultural landscape of our city,” she continued.
The current Alianza building was constructed in 1926 and was originally used as a girls’ seminary before the school moved to the outskirts of Lima. The building was sold to the association in 1974.
K+M Arquitectura y Urbanismo was founded by Marta Morelli and Sharif Kahat in 2010 and is based in Lima. The studio has completed residential, office and cultural projects in various cities throughout Peru.
Recently, Roman Bauer Arquitectos renovated and expanded another cultural institution using traditional building techniques.
Photography was by K+M Arquitectura y Urbanismo.
