Cella
Architecture can be both functional and poetic. Some structures immediately reveal their purpose, while others require time and exploration to uncover their hidden meanings and the ideas behind every detail—structure, layout, material, and texture. Take, for example, Cella, a temporary installation located at the Centro Cultural de Belém in Lisbon, Portugal. At first glance, it appears like an unfinished work, abruptly halted mid-construction, leaving visitors puzzled. In reality, it is an installation art piece by the Brazilian architectural collective Os Espacialistas, designed to invite people into a new spatial experience with openness and curiosity.
For Os Espacialistas, geometry serves as an emotional bridge between humans and nature. By closely observing the natural world, one can see traces of geometric forms shared between species, revealing the interconnectedness of human and natural shapes. At the heart of life itself, the cell—a fundamental building block—is deeply rooted in geometry, forming the foundation of living organisms. Drawing inspiration from this, the design team constructed Cella around three core elements: the body, space, and cork blocks. Together, they created a space that blends anatomical, architectural, and sculptural qualities.
In the center of a circular curtain, small cubes are stacked, inviting visitors to move, take, scatter, arrange, and build them freely. This interactive design encourages participants to unlock their latent artistic potential, returning to the primitive aesthetics of creation. The project breaks away from the rigid forms of traditional architecture, introducing movement and play as essential elements. It allows people to stroll, converse, and play within its boundaries, providing the freedom to divide, remember, choose, mix, and construct. Through these simple yet profound gestures, participants can explore the continuous relationships between time, space, and the body, repeating the future with wonder and joy.
Principal Designers：Diogo Castro, Luis Baptista, Mariana Marques
Character of Space：Ephemeral Architecture
Gross Floor Area：80 ㎡
Structure：Cork Blocks、Steel
Materials：Granulated Cork、Expanded Cork Blocks
Location：Culiacán, México
