El proyecto trata de crear una arquitectura de los sentidos. Se crea una especie de representación en la que intervienen arquitectura, sonidos, palabras, comida, bebida y vestuario para crear un auténtico espectáculo para los sentidos. Toda esta representación tiene lugar delante de los visitantes del pabellón. Es un espectáculo que cambia al ritmo que lo hacen las condiciones de cada momento: el número de visitantes, la estación del año, el viento y el clima. Peter Zumthor concibe los espacios a través de la experiencia. Para que la arquitectura sea una experiencia completa debe apreciarse con todos los sentidos, debe crear una experiencia sensorial. Por ello el edificio se llama “Caja de Sonido” o “Caja de esencias”. El pabellón es permeable y se puede acceder a él por cualquiera de sus lados, lo que hace que cada visitante tenga una experiencia diferente en esta atmosfera cambiante. “Para mí, los edificios pueden tener un bello silencio que asocio con atributos como compostura, evidencia, durabilidad, presencia e integridad, y con calidez y sensualidad, así, un edificio que es el ser mismo, al ser un edificio, no representa nada, solo ser. El sentido de que trato de inculcar en los materiales está más allá de todas las normas de composición, y su tangibilidad, el olor, y las cualidades acústicas no son más que elementos de la lengua que están obligados a utilizar (…)” Pensar la arquitectura, Peter Zumthor. La Caja de Sonido consiste en una serie de “muros” de madera que forman una especie de laberinto permeable y abierto por todos sus lados. Una serie de pasillos interconectados dan paso a patios y habitaciones interiores. Se trata de una arquitectura permeable a la climatología y que contiene espacios en los que incluso llueve, pasa el viento y entran los rayos del sol. Esto se consigue a través de la disposición en malla de rectángulos colocados a lo largo y a lo ancho alternativamente. Esta retícula está formada por varios muros paralelos, ubicados unos muy cerca de los otros, creando una serie de corredores entre ellos. Las paredes son permeables a la climatología al estar conformadas con vigas de madera apiladas. Durante la duración de la exposición el pabellón se convierte en una especie de caja de resonancia. Al aroma a bosque y al sonido del crujir de la madera secándose, se añaden las melodías que un grupo de músicos tocan y las voces de solistas que improvisan y reaccionan a los cambios de la música. Músicos y cantantes se van alternando diaria y semanalmente para hacer brillar al pabellón con el sonido. Es un cambio constante. La música cambia de ritmo, melodía, dinámica y timbre de acuerdo con unas normas de composición a las que los cantantes se adaptan. De ésta manera el pabellón se convierte en una caja de sonido, un instrumento enorme por el que se puede pasear.

1. Swiss Sound Box - Swiss Pavilion Expo 2000
Peter Zumthor 1996-2000
Swiss Sound Box, Switzerland’s entry in Expo 2000 in
Hanover, was designed accordingly with the exposition’s
theme, “Man, Nature and Technology”, which Zumthor
interpreted into a concept of sustainability. The most
remarkable feature of the structure is the walls that consist
of 118 individual stacks that are held together with
post-tensioning cables and linking planks between four
walls, that make up the basis of the modularity followed
throught the whole design. No glue or nails have been used
to links any wall.
The structure functions as an acoustic space created by the
material’s quality and the height of each wall. Performance
spaces coexist in the plan and the acoustics of the
structure creates a harmony between multiple music
performances without any dissonance that visitors could
experience while strolling through the bays as part of
“Gesamtkunstwerk”, or a“total work of art”.
The idea of entanglement persists throughout the whole
structure, from the basket-weave plan and the walls of
transversely stacked timbers and planks, to the acoustic
experience of multiple musical performances. Therefore the
design relies entirely on technical and conceptual
parameters that follow each other in a cyclical manner.
The structure was dissasembled and recycled after the Expo
as a continuation of the theme after the pavilion lost its
function as an attraction.
Övgü Nurözler
Muye Ma
ARCH 303
Precedent Study
1

2. Section AA
1 x 1.5 m unreinforced
concrete foundation
400 x 200 mm
foundation plate
50 x 800 bottom
tensile plank
tensile cable
100 x 200 mm plank
45 x 600
250 x 1000 top
tensile plate
tensile springs
50 x 150 mm stacking
timber
45 x 45 mm stacking timber
45 x 45 mm stacking timber
100 x 1700 mm plank
At a height of 8.68 metres (with a shrink-
age by 17 cm due to post-tensioning) the
whole structure relies on a 4 wall module
that responds to lateral forces on
individual walls by allowing a certain
de ection to happen and recover original
position due to the reactionary forces
from three other walls.
Natural ventilation is created through the
high ratio of the height of the walls to the
bays between two walls, that creates a
weak wind tunnel dampened by the gap
between individual stacks. The wall
module was designed to oscillate with
the wind forces.
The whole structure blocks daylight
through metal shades on the planks that
hold each module toether.
The slight gap between the walls and the
shades along with no speci c protection
from rainwater is an elaborate design that
lets the wood interact naturally with the
weather.
2
Övgü Nurözler
Muye Ma
ARCH 303
Precedent Study

3. Programming
Initial design: basket weave
arrangement of each module
+ + +
service spaces spreading strategy to make
place for service spaces
spatial hierarchy: priority of
performance spaces
three modules of spaces assignment and adjustment of
each module
circulation
performance spaces
dining spaces
main
entrance
assignment of service spaces
circulation dining
performance
south
entrance
east
entrance
main
pathway
Spontaneous gaps that occur as a result of
assigning service spaces create
advantageous circulation spots that afford
a more comfortable transition between
modules.
The rst of the three gaps has been placed
near the main entrance for a smoother tran-
sition, where the visitor can choose to go to
either a performance or a dining space, or
stroll between the performance spaces
through multiple music shows.
Övgü Nurözler
Muye Ma
ARCH 303
Precedent Study
3

4. Site Plan
Structure Plan
The Expo site was situated on the original 1,000,000 square meters of the Hanover fairground;
an additional 600,000 m² spcce was also created as a newly-opened section to the grounds.
The Sound Box Pavilion was located in the southeast of the Expo Site. The main street is in the
southwest of the pavilion, however people could access the building from any direction.
The building plan illuatrates the high consistency of slightly adjusted modules that rely on a system of a weave.
The permeable structure of the walls afforded a wide-range enjoyment of the musical performances.
Övgü Nurözler
Muye Ma
ARCH 303
Precedent Study
4

5. 1. Three Modules:
3. Circulation From One Entrance
Circulation:
functions purely as a two-way pass
betweenentrances and functioning
modules. Elongation of individual
modules, either horizontal or
vertical.
Performance space:
functions as a narrow corridor
with benches for performers, is a
dynamic space that is created by
elongating vertical modules.
Lack of space forces a circulation
that supports the acoustic
experience of multiple
performances
Dining spaces:
a stationary module
in the circulation
network with more
space where
vistors can stay longer
without blocking the
visitor traffic.
Comfortable circulation nodes
afforded by the spontaneous gaps
created through shifting modules
to make space for supply units,
enable shorter routes between
modules compared to the routes
around supply units.
No hierarchy in general circulation
in the open-ended plan. Entrances
also funtion as exits. No clear pathway
is visible because of the dual function
entrances as also exits. Corridors exits
only in modules and not between
them, which creates in nitely
possible routes through the circulation
network.
2. Advantageous Circulation Nodes
Övgü Nurözler
Muye Ma
ARCH 303
Precedent Study
5
Circulation