Erle Strøm-Johansen - 04_efemeral architecture

RUNWAY - EPHEMERAL ARCHITECTURE

Faculade de arquitetura Ulisboa, 4th year 1st semester, Autumn 24

Location: Faculade de arquitetura Ulisboa

Finding beauty in the fleeting & time as a resource.

Ephemeral architecture is designed to exist for a limited period of time. It is about freeing oneself from the idea that buildings must be permanent to have value. The beauty lies in its fleeting and spontaneous nature. It is not the duration of a structure that gives it value, but the experience of its presence in a specific moment. It allows for experimentation with materials and forms, and for creating unique experiences, as well as how we use space and relate to architecture in the short term. In contrast to the eternal, the temporary can be experienced as more authentic, more direct -when we know something won’t last forever, the experience become more intense, beautiful, and memorable.

This project is a proposal for runway at the architecture school in Lisbon.

The project is a lightweight steel column and truss structure that defines a temporary runway within the existing school environment. The construction follows the rhythm of the surrounding buildings, creating a dialogue between the new intervention and its context. Beneath a mirrored roof, organically shaped steel benches form the seating and circulation areas, allowing flexible movement and interaction around the runway.

At one end, an enclosed exhibition space is defined by a fabric envelope, providing both protection and a degree of privacy while maintaining a soft, permeable boundary. The combination of reflective surfaces, structural clarity, and lightweight materials reinforces the temporary character of the project, while enabling a dynamic and adaptable spatial experience.