Pavilion Schuiten- schuiverskwartier

The Municipality of Groningen invited the Japanese architect Toyo Ito to develop a framework for the cultural manifestation Blue Moon. He worked together with four architects: Space Group, Xaveer de Geyter, Foreign Office Architects and Tony Fretton. Each of them drew up two designs; one for the Europapark (a former industrial site) and one for the inner city of Groningen, all based on Ito's master plan. In the context of this manifestation the English Foreign Office Architects made a 4 story high building with a façade that could be opened and closed like sleeping bag, with a zipper. It is a steal-framed structure with a skin of perforated steel plates. These can be opened. The building changes from a fully closed massive column into a light and open structure. Inside is a restaurant and two apartments.