MIRROR-FINISH ACRYLIC PANELS CONCEAL pavilion IN GUADALAJARA
Designed by errre taller, Sfumato is a temporary reflective pavilion that reinterprets the Cubo MEM, a prominent sculptural landmark at the ITESO architecture complex in Guadalajara, Mexico. Selected as the winning proposal for the inaugural Pabellón MEM competition, the project investigates how an existing architectural structure can become visually imperceptible while maintaining its physical footprint.
CONCEALED STEEL FRAMING FORMS MONOLITHIC SKYWARD PAVILION
The intervention by studio errre taller wraps the 6.40 × 6.40-meter cube in a reflective envelope composed of 3 mm mirror-finish acrylic panels. The standard 1.22 × 2.44-meter sheets are combined with 76 cm cut sections to maximize material efficiency while maintaining surface continuity. The panels are attached using double-sided tape and silicone to a light-gauge metal stud-and-track framing system supported by an interior wooden sub-structure fixed to the original PTR steel frame.
To preserve the illusion of a monolithic volume, a single access portal is positioned discreetly on the less prominent west face. Inside, the pavilion functions as an open-air chamber for skyward observation, where shifting solar angles track the passage of time through changing internal shadow patterns. Sfumato explores the paradox of architectural presence through disappearance.
