Artek Pavilion to be offered in sale of 20th Century Design, June 14, 2008 Sotheby’s is proud to offer the Artek Pavilion by internationally recognized architect Shigeru Ban in collaboration with UPM, as part of the June 14, 2008 sale of Important 20th Century Design.
News-Antique.com - May 07,2008 - New York, New York – Sotheby’s is proud to offer the Artek Pavilion by internationally recognized
architect Shigeru Ban in collaboration with UPM, one of the world’s leading forest products groups, as
part of the June 14, 2008 sale of Important 20th Century Design. Made primarily from recycled materials, this
prefabricated pavilion, which has been exhibited in Milan, Helsinki, and Miami, demonstrates the ingenuity
of design in offering alternative environmentally friendly spaces in the 20th century. The Artek Pavilion is
estimated to sell for $800,000/1.2 million* and is being offered on behalf of Proventus, the majority owner
of Artek, with the proceeds being donated to arts and culture affiliated charities.
James Zematis, Senior Vice President and Head of the 20th Century Design Department at Sotheby’s, said,
“Shigeru Ban's Artek Pavilion is a timely symbol of sustainability. Highly acclaimed when it was exhibited
in Milan, Helsinki and Miami, it will be sold during a summer season in New York that will include the
much-anticipated exhibition on domestic prefabrication at The Museum of Modern Art, New York. How
many collectors have wondered, ‘What if Mies van der Rohe's Barcelona Pavilion had been saved?’ We are
proud to be offering a masterwork that will be studied in future classes of 21st century architecture.”
Internationally renowned architect Shigeru Ban designed the Artek Pavilion, “the Space of Silence,” in
collaboration with forest products group UPM using mainly one material: extruded profile out of wood
plastic composite, made primarily from recycled materials. The principle raw material for this recycled
material is self-adhesive label materials made of paper and plastic. The architecture of the pavilion was
designed around a structural-unit concept, repeated multiple times in forming an elongated shed-like
building. The pavilion was also designed to be re-assembled, and the elements were pre-built and
assembled in Finland. One module of the pavilion, which consists of a roof, wall and structural elements,
is approximately 2 meters wide; this module is repeated 21 times. The entire pavilion is 40 meters long and
5 meters wide and can be taken down and re-assembled easily. This nomadic construction, an
unconventional piece of ecological innovation with elegant beauty, stands for Artek’s attitude to
sustainable development, amplifying the dialogue between design, architecture and art.
Japanese architect Shigeru Ban has been a remarkable trailblazer in applying ecological thinking and the
principles of sustainable development to
architectural design. Ban’s architecture
emphasizes refinement and innovation,
especially in his choice of material
technologies. His original and bold approaches
to the use of paper, cardboard and bamboo as
construction materials, combined with a cleanlined
and contemporary architectural aesthetic,
have made him one of the most important
architects of our time. In 1995, he started
Voluntary Architects’ Network (VAN),
sharing his awareness of housing shortages
and deplorable living conditions in various
parts of the world. Ban’s work reflects the
influences of both American architectural
training and the traditions of his native Japan.
Pictured: Artek Pavilion in Helsinki, Finland, September 2007 (Photo: Rauno Träskelin)
