Demiurgus

This project proposes a pair of small pavilions designed to host the artworks of Bosco Sodi, situated within the grounds of Casa Wabi, on the Pacific coast of Puerto Escondido, Oaxaca, Mexico. The pavilion adopts the traditional Japanese Irimoya (hip-and-gable) roof, establishing a space that mediates between art and landscape, between earth and sky. The Irimoya roof finished with copper shingles embodies a geometry that reconciles horizontality and verticality, offering a form that is both modest and quietly powerful in its natural surroundings. The roof’s sloped silhouette—from ridge to eaves—receives the vastness of the sky while gently settling into the land. In this coastal context, its form also serves as a rational response to strong sun and coastal winds. The wooden floor is raised from the ground and the interior is designed around the contrast of shadow and light, creating a sensory atmosphere for deep engagement with Sodi’s materially intense works. Openings are kept to a minimum: wooden louvers on the wall invites natural light to illuminate the work, while narrow slits allow air to pass, creating a gentle cross-ventilation. The architecture thus becomes a silent vessel, allowing the sculpture to speak within. More than a building, the pavilion is conceived as a rhythm within the landscape, where material, construction, and space mediate between place and art.

KIAS (Kentaro Ishida Architects Studio)
April 24, 2025