Silent Shadows

The brief for this competition was to design a temporary pavilion in a historic square of Merida, Yucatan, to raise awareness of the many forms of violence that women suffer in Mexico.
This pavilion proposal invites pass goers to reflect through the ephemeral nature of shadows, using them as as a means of communication; an entity that exists but cannot be touched, just as as verbal and psychological violence.
The shadows inhabit the space and extend outside the limits of the pavilion at certain hours of the day. The messages are intended to be strong, but also reflective; Statistical data shows that gender gaps and violence against women exist in abundance, these numbers and facts are also accompanied by messages of empowerment.
The arrangement and rhythm of the pavilion and its openings are intricately informed by the ex-Penitenciaria Juarez, a historic 19th-century Jail right in front of the “park of peace”. Without physically engaging with the historic Jail, the pavilion’s shadows reach onto the walls of the fortress, creating an interesting dialogue between the /longlasting and the ephimeral.