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Otra-ada / SA-KO

Otrā–āda takes inspiration from the traditional folk object masks. Slota (broom) or Siena kaudze (a haystack), mystical beings covered in tall straw hats and textile robes are reimagined in the form of the pavilion. The slender timber construction reaching above the birch trees with sheets of impregnated canvas drifting in the wind remind us of the traditional folk creatures deeply rooted in Latvian culture.

Archetypal figure of the pavilion is a reminiscence of cone-like structures of traditional Latvian pirts. Pirts is a place for both physical and spiritual purification and serves as a source of energy. Latvians have been collecting plants and herbs in the pirts for relaxation of body and mind, regaining physical and emotional balance and disposing of stress and fatigue.

Otrā–āda invites all visitors for a collective feast–shared experience around one long table. The table is adjustable for different levels and offers options for spatial variability. Otrā–āda is hand in hand with Sansusī values as openness, simplicity combined with excitement, adventure and freedom. The use of timber construction, canvas and reused furniture reflects the spirit and values of becoming an example of sustainable cultural production.

All caterers’ work spaces and storage areas have roof cover. Customers of the food court can sit around the main shared table with roof coverage. The canopy reaches out to the birch forest of its surroundings to maximize the circulation area for its visitors outside the pavilion floor area. During the festival the canopy offers new scenarios for different cultural and community activities from slam poetry to shared breakfasts. Otrā–āda is transparent and continuous, encouraging and poetic, familiar and strange.