The Labyrinth in the Mound, ES: A Temporary Installation
Open Competition “Concéntrico 10: International Architecture and Design Festival” / 2023
COT LA COT (Stuff Studio + Alexandru Vilcu)
The Labyrinth in the Mound
The tenth intervention in Plaza Escuelas Trevijano continues Logroño’s tradition of labyrinths and
brings one to the forefront of the architectural festival. The first labyrinth of Logroño (1991) is a 1.5 m wide
iconographic circle and the second labyrinth (2015) presents a 28 m wide field condition. The proposal for
Logroño’s Labyrinth in the Mound (2024) meanders the visitor through an extruded labyrinth that coils centerless within a 10 m wide square on a singular path with three alcoves as triptychs displaying the previous 9 Trevijano pavilions. Squeezed between the two identitygiving figures of the Plaza - the tree planter and the trekkers sculpture - the Labyrinth in the Mound provides a spatial experience of discovery as a celebration of the decade-long series of interventions in the square.
The Mound in the City
From afar, the pavilion takes the form of a mound - an urban topography that temporarily raises the plaza from flatness to a peak of 250 cm, the standard plywood sheet height. The structure is made of 71 aggregated green stained plywood walls which hide and reveal its occupants along the slopes. The walk through the labyrinth between alcoves encourages spontaneous interactions with other festival-goers as the varying heights of the standard stick frame walls envelop the occupant and then slowly reveal them back to the city. Thus a new way of experiencing the flat Plaza emerges by maximizing a winding path that gradually conceals and reveals the surrounding urban constructions.
The City in the Labyrinth
Up close, the symmetry of the mound is distorted by four oriented-strand-board (OSB) extensions which
contrast in coloration to the dominant green of the labyrinth and interact with the Plaza’s existing features,
amplifying their functions. During the festivities, a series of events will activate the four OSB protrusions.
The Plaza’s iconic tree planter will mark the point of entry to the pavilion and provide the backdrop for large
gatherings for the introduction to the festival. The ground on which the Plaza’s sculptures walk is
extended into a stage for small-scale children’s performances or just lounging at level with the trekkers. Similarly, one of many street lamps is embraced by a curving dinner table where an evening discussion
with various Concentrico pavilion designers will take place or where one can just grab lunch. On the
southern side, a sandbox filled with woodchips made from the plywood panel offcuts allows kids to play and
encourages intergenerational interactions with users of the nearby benches.
Materiality and Construction
The construction of the pavilion exhausts the provided forty standardsized plywood panels to produce the
labyrinth’s walls (Fig. 2). The planning module for the labyrinth is based on the width of the plywood sheet, producing a 64-square grid that is 122 cm by 122 cm, the standard width of a plywood sheet. This dimensional logic requires a single cut for the mound edge. Each panel is framed by 2”x4” studs, adjoined
to adjacent assemblies in stable L-shaped structures. The panel assembly meets the uneven paved ground of the square with a steel swivel leveling mount. This simple construction method extends to the programmed urban furniture, which are constructed of 8 economical OSB panels of standard 122 x 250 cm. The plywood panel assemblies are stained with a “Woodland Green” semi-transparent waterproofing exterior wood stain and sealer to provide a durable protection from the elements, both during the festival and in its potential afterlife, as it is designed for disassembly. Further, any waste and offcuts become the fill for the woodchip playmound, providing a soft surface for kids to play on.