Living Pavilion Green Walled Garden Wave Coming to Governors Island

When the energy crisis was declare with almost independent organization, more people going to try live green. It's like at NYC, USA. You can skip the beach and head straight to Governors Island, if you want to keep cool in NYC this summer! Although the much-anticipated eco-renovations are set to begin in 2012, the island is getting a head start by installing the winner of the first annual City of Dreams Pavilion Completion! Dubbed “Living Pavilion”, the temporary, low-tech and zero-impact structure is made of reclaimed milk crates that will be become a growing surface for an edible garden.

 Designers Ann Ha and Behrang Behin’s plans for their “Living Pavilion” get us totally pumped for summer in New York. Not only is “Living Pavilion” a great place to relax and keep cool — the designers also considered the full life-cycle of the project by making sure every step contains as little environmental impact as possible.

The reclaimed milk crates form a rolling wave of life and growth. The “wave’s break” consists of a distribution of more crates full of crops that can be harvested and later distributed into the community. The wave shape provides many different orientations for solar exposure, allowing for a large variety of plantings with unique needs.


The pavilion will be a great place to find shade in the city’s hot summer months, since evapotranspiration from its planted surfaces will help keep its inhabitants cool. Materials include common structural items such as heavy-duty packaging straps and weather-treated wood. The designers worked with Kari Katzander of Mingo Design for green wall technology and plant selection and with Yunlu Shen of Buro Happold for structural analysis.

The international City of Dreams Pavilion Completion required contestants to create a pavilion that would be used as a central and temporary gathering space on Governors Island. The contestants were required to consider the full life-cycle of their proposals with as little environmental impact as possible. The designers were also required to consider the sourcing, materials, placement, dismantling and the future use of the pavilions. The competition was organized by FIGMENT, the Emerging New York Architect Committee (ENYA) and the Structural Engineers Association of New York (SEAoNY).

“Living Pavilion” will be constructed in the courtyard of Liggett Hall on Governors Island this summer. The pavilion structure will be assembled in the spring and will open to the public from June 6th through October 3rd 2010. See you there!