Colorful

What are your origins?

Rotative studio is an architectural practice founded by architects, urban designers, researchers and educators Alexandra Sonnemans and Caterina Viguera. Rotative studio is based in Zurich and Rotterdam and was founded in 2017. Caterina Viguera was born in Barcelona and lives in Zurich. She studied at ETSAB Escola Tècnica Superior d’Arquitectura de Barcelona, at TU Berlin and at ETH Zurich to obtain an MAS in Urban Design. Alexandra Sonnemans (born in Belgrade) lives in Rotterdam after studying at TU Delft Faculty of Architecture and TU Berlin.

How does the selected project fit into your work and design process?

For the municipality of Aigle we have designed three temporary pavilions on the town’s central square, the Place du Marché. This square will undergo a transformation during the next years, to become more green, pedestrian friendly and prominent for the city. We started the project in 2020 by redefining the assignment together with the client. The pavilions perform as the first gesture that embodies the municipality’s ambitions to really understand this central square as a place for encounter, a place for the residents.

Therefore, we proposed a combination of functions: a public library, an observatory, a collective table with benches, and a small theatre. The pavilions are small stations, that are accessible from all sides. They are formed and positioned in relation to each other and in relation to the square and it’s future transformation.

The position of the pavilions divides the square in different parts representing the stages for the construction works. This division enables the use of at least two parts of the square during the long transformation process.