{tag:studenci} was the winner of the SARP Annual Zbyszek Zawistowski "Diploma of the Year" Award for his thesis "Inferno XXI.Apavilion made of plastic," completed at the Faculty of Architecture of the Wrocław University of Technology under the direction of Dr. Ada Kwiatkowska. The project is a climate manifesto, drawing attention to the problem of excessive use of plastics and insufficient recycling efforts. The concept of the pavilion was inspired by Dante Alighieri's "Divine Comedy," the first part of which - "Inferno" - symbolizes sins and warns against their consequences. The modern version of Inferno refers to the 21st century, showing the plastic pavilion as a warning to modern society against the disastrous consequences of environmental destruction.
idea
© Sebastian Kawalec
global garbage mountain
Every day each of us produces waste - seemingly a single piece, but soon it becomes part of a massive problem. When you multiply individual garbage by billions of living people, the problem reaches an enormous scale. This project aims to raise awareness that each of us adds to a collective problem built from tons of "nobody's" waste. This visual representation of what is usually hidden from view - in landfills or in the form of oceanic islands of garbage - becomes a massive, floating ball of waste, obscuring what has been important to us so far. It is meant as a reminder of what should take priority in our daily consciousness.
idea of a form of anxiety
© Sebastian Kawalec
masks of anonymous consumption
Venice - a city that is a closed space, with an apparent lack of space for new objects - was chosen as the location for the pavilion. The apparent limitation is due to the fact that this city has its own representative square - St. Mark's Square. The pavilion was placed in this historically and touristically significant space to reach the widest possible audience. A tourist or tourist, expecting to see the historic square, basilica and tower, encounters an unusual object, attracting attention and changing the perspective of perception of this place.
location
© Sebastian Kawalec
The location of the pavilion in the center of the carnival capital symbolically emphasizes the anonymity that accompanies the use of plastic. When buying a single plastic bottle, most people don't think about its impact on the environment, treating it as a minor, individual choice. In the Middle Ages, putting on masks was an excuse to break the law; today, anonymity absolves us of our ecological responsibility. The culture of the Venetian Carnival, with its ornate costumes and masks, introduces a sense of seclusion that, combined with the pavilion, is meant to draw attention to the essence of the problem - raising awareness that the environmental crisis did not arise on its own, but it is our actions that drive it.
cross section
© Sebastian Kawalec
architecture as a warning
The pavilion exploits architectural possibilities such as manipulating space, dominating the environment and obscuring views. It is dedicated to the world's most popular tourist sites, such as central city squares and viewpoints, whose characteristics are disrupted by the presence of the pavilion, which can contribute to a decline in their attractiveness. The object's form is designed to arouse fear and interest at the same time, resembling familiar shapes that attract attention, whether it is positive or negative.
View of the main entrance under the pavilion
© Sebastian Kawalec
The motif of warning from the "Divine Comedy" was adapted in the pavilion by dividing the interior into three thematic zones. The lowest part, Inferno, refers to the stagnant stage of waste management, the middle zone, Purgatorio, symbolizes the still existing choice, while Paradiso represents the ideal state of garbage processing.
Inferno
The lowest floors have been allocated for the Inferno section, where users and users, looking down, can see a pessimistic picture of the future. The space is strewn with plastic waste, and is accessed via an internal staircase. On the floor dedicated to exhibitions, visitors can see photos of dead animals that have fallen victim to marine waste, as well as photographs from landfills in poor countries. On this level, visitors have a choice - they can head up the stairs or descend to the garbage dump.
inferno
© Sebastian Kawalec
Purgatorio and Paradiso
The middle section of the pavilion, named Purgatorio, symbolizes purgatory. This tier illustrates the real choice between plastic and alternative materials that can effectively replace it. A central black sphere houses the auditorium, where gathered people can watch each other.
paradiso
© Sebastian Kawalec
The last section of the pavilion, Paradiso, shows an ideal world. The lowest floor of this section contains laboratories that grow fungi capable of breaking down plastic. The upper floor, on the other hand, is a projection room where a vault covered with thin plastic film is used to show educational films.
purgatorio
© Sebastian Kawalec
reflecting on the climate crisis
Thanks to its unusual form, the pavilion attracts male and female tourists, and their wandering through all its parts makes them think. It does not show an optimistic picture with lush vegetation, which could be misleading and give the feeling that the problem does not exist. Its purpose is to show the choice each of us faces in the context of the climate crisis. The ball of waste has been raised and placed in a structural grid, giving it the appearance of a human trophy of modern times.
The view from the arcade of the Procuratie Vecchie building
© Sebastian Kawalec
Plastic waste can decompose between 100 and 1,000 years, so after the apparent deconstruction, the pavilion will be renamed from "Inferno XXI" to "Purgatorio XXXI," giving modern audiences a sense that the destination is still a long way off in time.
Purgatorio XXXI, the second stage of the pavilion
© Sebastian Kawalec
We published the full results of the SARP annual award competition for the best thesis on our portal(see "Results of the SARP annual award competition").
