A distinctive pavilion designed by Swedish architecture studio In Praise of Shadows has found a permanent home in Stockholm's historic Rosendal Garden, marking the end of a remarkable journey that began at the Venice Architecture Biennale. Originally created as a companion piece to a wooden loggia displayed at the 2018 Venice Architecture Biennale, the structure has been transformed and relocated multiple times before settling in its current location.
Now known as Paviljong Rosendal, the building spent the past two years in Stockholm's Sundbyberg suburb, where it served as a public dialogue space during an urban planning process. The pavilion has been donated to the Rosendal Garden park by Folkhem, a developer specializing in wooden house construction, ensuring its continued public use for meetings, events, and educational activities.
To better integrate with its new surroundings, In Praise of Shadows updated the pavilion's appearance by painting it in a characteristic green color traditionally used for buildings in the area. "At Rosendal, the exterior wood was painted in a locally traditional green color to anchor it to the site," explained Fredric Benesch, who co-founded In Praise of Shadows with Katarina Lundeberg.
The Swedish version of the pavilion differs significantly from its Venice predecessor in terms of weather protection and functionality. While the original biennale pavilion was completely open to the elements, the Stockholm installation features a translucent polycarbonate skin designed to withstand Sweden's harsh winter conditions. "The wooden structure is identical, but while the Venice pavilion was an open loggia, the Swedish version was adapted to local climate conditions with the addition of a translucent polycarbonate skin," Benesch noted.
This polycarbonate cladding serves multiple purposes beyond weather protection. According to Benesch, "This cladding provides wind protection, extends seasonal use and creates a glowing lantern effect in winter," transforming the pavilion into what he describes as a "glowing lantern" during the darker months. The translucent material allows light to filter through while maintaining privacy and comfort for users.
The design philosophy behind Paviljong Rosendal emphasized adaptability and sustainability from the beginning. Benesch described the project as "a temporary, prefabricated wooden loggia that could be reused in different contexts," highlighting the studio's commitment to creating flexible architectural solutions. The choice of glued laminated timber (glulam) as the primary structural material was both practical and expressive.
"Working with wood was part of the brief," Benesch explained, detailing the material selection process. "Glulam was chosen for its strength, prefabrication potential, and reusability. It enabled rational production with standardized dimensions, efficient assembly and disassembly, and an expressive structure with visible bolt heads." This approach allowed the pavilion to be easily dismantled and reconstructed in different locations throughout its lifespan.
In its permanent location within Rosendal Garden's orchard setting, the pavilion will continue to serve the Stockholm community as a versatile space for various public activities. The structure represents a growing trend in contemporary architecture toward translucent materials and sustainable design practices, joining other recent projects that explore the intersection of functionality and artistic expression through innovative material use.
The successful relocation and adaptation of Paviljong Rosendal demonstrates how thoughtful architectural design can transcend its original context while maintaining its core identity and purpose. The pavilion's journey from Venice to Stockholm illustrates the potential for architectural works to evolve and find new meanings in different cultural and environmental settings.
