Memory Pavilion

Above the new Southern Ring Road, a new park for the people of Groningen will soon emerge: the Zuiderplantsoen. At the edge of this park stands the Memory Pavilion (Geheugenpaviljoen), a gathering place and stage. The Memory Pavilion is the second in a series of artworks within the Zuiderplantsoen; earlier, the Memory Balcony (Geheugenbalkon) was completed along the Hereweg (2021). In both designs, parts of the old ring road are repurposed, and new elements are added. Where the columns once supported the highway, they will now support a biodiverse rooftop garden that will provide shade or shelter to people beneath it.

The Commission / Art Assignment
An art commission was formed by Kunstpunt, residents from the three adjacent neighborhoods, Aanpak Ring Zuid, and the contractor consortium Herepoort, and together they formulated a multi-part art assignment. The request from residents for spaces that would activate the new public area (for meeting, staying, and activity) was a key direction. The commission requested the following: from what conceptual foundation can a logical and cohesive series of gathering spaces be created that contribute to the experience, use, and significance of the park, and how could these be designed? The most compelling response to this question came from Studio L A.

Studio L A’s Vision
The vision and design of Studio L A were unanimously chosen because they focused on the stories and history of the area, providing a strong concept for gathering places in the Zuiderplantsoen. It’s a design at the intersection of visual art, design, and architecture. “Our proposal is to reuse and reshape old parts of the highway. In doing so, they can transform into meeting, play, and sports objects. The form language of the highway lends itself well to this. The abstract/geometric shapes invite new uses. At the same time, the iconic, easily recognizable language of a highway is kept sufficiently intact.” The vision also aligned with the park’s design requirements to make the layers of time visible.

The Memory Pavilion – Design
With the Memory Pavilion, Studio L A aims to create spaces where local residents can play, stay, meet, and organize activities. Residents had indicated that they were missing a covered stage and meeting space in the area. They also pointed out the lack of accessible water areas in the city, where people could sit by the water. These were key starting points for the design.

The floors of the pavilion are designed in different levels. Residents can use these platforms in various ways. Performances can be held on them, but they also provide a place where people can sit and stay on an ordinary day, with one side offering a view of the park and the other of the Winschoterdiep. A conscious decision was made to design the largest floor area at ground level to ensure accessibility for everyone.

The stage is situated beneath a biodiverse green roof, accessible only for maintenance via a pull-down ladder. This allows bees, butterflies, and various birds to live in peaceful surroundings. In addition to creating a safe and pleasant habitat for the local flora and fauna, the greenery, with its (hanging) plants, adds atmosphere to the underlying stage and offers a green view to the residents across the street.

The roof is supported by the existing columns and beams of the old highway, material that would otherwise have become waste. These two columns are not the only ones Studio L A wants to reuse. To highlight the former path of the highway, they intend to leave four more columns standing. Across the Winschoterdiep, they will leave a column in place, integrating a bat house into it, and shaping a space around the water. On the other side of the stage, three columns continue the line, cut at varying heights: table height, sitting height, and flush with the ground. This way, each column can be used in different ways. The material and color choices reference the first public space, the Memory Balcony.

The Participation Process
For the art assignment, an art commission was formed, consisting of a resident from Oosterpoort, a resident from De Linie, a resident from the Herewegbuurt, the contractor consortium Herepoort, Aanpak Ring Zuid, and Kunstpunt Groningen. The residents of Oosterpoort and De Linie were already part of the neighborhood consultation and were well informed about local issues. They gathered residents’ wishes during a Year Market, which provided important input for the content of the art assignment. After the completion of the Memory Balcony and during the design process of the Memory Pavilion, Studio L A spoke with the children of the Bekenkampschool about their wishes for a new space, incorporating their feedback. Before the design of the Memory Pavilion was made public, discussions were held with the Werkgroep Toegankelijk Groningen, and their concerns were integrated into the final design.