Are scaffolds the architecture of a pandemic?
Some people believe so.
That’s because, in Bogota, Colombia, an architecture group known as Colab-19 is reshaping not only how we interact during a pandemic, but where we interact.
Scaffolds galore?
Like most highly populated cities, Bogota has been under a long and strict quarantine, which has caused economic pressure on those who cannot work from home. This has been especially difficult for restaurant and entertainment workers. About 40% of the city’s restaurants have been forced to shut down.
In order to help prevent the spread while maintaining safety standards, Colab-19 designers responded to the pandemic by creating the La Concordia: Amphitheater.
It’s a U-shaped structure that can host different events such as outdoor dining and film screenings. It’s essentially a socially distanced theater.
It consists of three levels with a semi-enclosed courtyard space in the middle. Lower levels can be used for dining, while the top level can be used to overlook the city.
Socially distant and socially affordable…
Since the pandemic has impacted many people financially, co-founders German Bahamon and Alejandro Saldarriaga looked for affordable materials to build this venue.
The materials had to be easily accessible and affordable. Eventually, they settled on scaffolding due to its “outdoor feel.”
Sheets of a textile made from natural fibers called yute are used to divide the sections. In pre-pandemic life, yute was used to make sacks for potatoes and coffee… but now it serves a new purpose.
Repurposing architecture
One of the most interesting parts is that all the materials used to assemble the amphitheater can be taken apart and reused for other projects.
Colab-19 hopes that this idea will still be embraced even after the pandemic since it’s affordable and reusable. They’ve termed the processes as “tactical architecture.”
They also hope to develop innovations that will change how people can utilize architecture to suit current needs in society.
Do you think more this type of architecture will define this period in time? Or do you think it’s a phase that will end once we return to normal?
Let us know your thoughts down below!