“Mass is More” by Daniel Ibañez, Vicente Guallart (IAAC) & Alan Organschi (Bauhaus Earth)
“Mass is More” is a project by the Institute for Advanced Architecture of Catalonia (IAAC) and Bauhaus Earth at the Mies van der Rohe Pavilion in Barcelona that explores the use of regenerative and decarbonizing architectural materials exposing the multi-layered processes behind the construction of the built environment. The mass timber CLT panels composing all elements of the installation, sustainably sourced from Spanish forests, are used in a way that gracefully demonstrates the performative, structural, and tactile capacities of this material. While creating a respectful dialogue with Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Lilly Reich’s original pavilion, the installation proposes a radical material departure from modernism—concrete and steel—in favor of renewable, carbon storing, regionally and sustainably sourced biomaterials. Through a series of interventions, the installation showcases the potential of mass timber construction and proposes a future of radical decarbonization supported by bioregionalism and material circularity that fosters upcycling and reuse.
This space serves as the venue for the launching of Mass Madera, a Spanish mass timber building network promoted by Built by Nature. The installation has been produced by the Finsa and Xilonor, a galician timber company, and incorporate a visual environmental representation developed together with Bestiario. “Mass is More” is part of the events of the European Forest City 2022 that will take place in Barcelona organized by the European Forest Institute, with the support of the Metropolitan Area and the Barcelona City Council.
