EYEPIECE
Conceived as a 100% biodegradable natural history museum, the Sukkot pavilion designed by FSOARK reinterprets an ancient Jewish tradition through an interfaith outlook and multicultural perspective. Entitled “Eyepiece”, the structure comprises interconnected triangular wooden frames, in which plant specimens significant to the Coast Salish peoples are cast in thin lenses of re-invented kosher bioplastic, a material with high transparency and glass-like appearance. The design team is captivated by the idea that a sukkah is both protective yet permissive - an “imperfect” covering that offers the occupants an intimate connection with the shared cosmo enveloping them, conveying the message that all walks of life are ultimately under one sky. The duality of a sukkah functioning as a microscope through which we examine our own faiths, as well as a wide-angle lens broadening our perspective on others, is the kernel of the design concept.
The triangular modules are connected to each other in a reciprocal pattern, with shifting orientations and points of contact, allowing the structure to grow organically and adaptively. The plant materials foraged for the design include indigenous wildflowers, ferns and wild berries. The reason behind the selection is two-folded: First, to acknowledge the First Nations’ ancestral ties to the land since antiquity, and embrace their ways of celebration and feasting as part of our collective heritage. Secondly, through this authentic sampling of the local ecosystems, the design team wants to call to attention the subtle beauties of the land, and the fragile balance that allows it to thrive. By presenting a montage of specimens mimicking the setting of a natural history museum, FSOARK encourages the occupants to reexamine the deeper and broader meaning of our existence and faith one plant at a time.
Project Team: Imu Chan - Architect | Alek Rokosz - Project lead and builder | Olivia Alvarez - Prototype and builder