Embassy for Refugees pavilions

The Embassy for Refugees is a concept created by Natasha Reid which which was commissioned as a temporary art intervention to form the central focus of Refugee Week 2013 and host the UN High Commission for Refugees.

Realized as two experimental pavilions, they held a program of talks on the subject of sanctuary, alongside performances and debate. The project was part conceptual art intervention, part architectural space, forming a reflection on the status quo and a space of sanctuary.

The concept of the Embassy for Refugees was to symbolically claim territory for those that seek refuge in cities. The project explored whether art and architecture can extend the boundaries of the discussion about refuge. The form of the “embassy” was defined through participatory sculpture workshops with refugee children to make “secret dens”. It was also inspired by the natural refuges of tree canopies, caves and cocoons, and developed with Biophilic Design principles to combine psychological, emotional, aesthetic and symbolic impacts. The final form was realized in collaboration with engineers at Arup to maximize the limited budget through intelligent use of material and structural form. The playfulness of the pavilions resonates with childhood memories and imaginations of enchanting hideaways and natural shelters.