Mariana de Delás and Gartnerfuglen Arkitekter have collaborated on the construction of En Passant, a small red pavilion in France that invites passersby to stop and play chess.
En Passant has a tall, slender structure distinguished by its oversized hip roof, which is designed to stand out within the green landscape of Parc des ÃŽles in the town of Lens.
This is helped by its bright red cladding, which is made from powder-coated metal and was chosen by de Delás and Gartnerfuglen Arkitekter to mimic the boldness of "paradise birds in the rainforest".
Above: En Passant is a bold red pavilion. Top image: it is designed for playing chess
"We liked for the structure to be vertical, to serve as a visual landmark in the space, identifiable from the distance and attractive to the wanderer," de Delás told Dezeen. "We love to believe that small objects in vast nature spots can be seen as creatures living in nature, using colour as a tool to attract mates like paradise birds in the rainforest."
It is distinguished by its oversized hip roof
En Passant's structure comprises a steel frame wrapped in the red powder-coated hip roof, both prefabricated with steel artisans 2Monos Studio before being shipped to the site.
Inside there are four steel chairs with Mares stone seats, which are bolted to a concrete slab foundation and double as supports for the roof. They are complemented by a matching chessboard, made from the same stone.
The large hip roof is desig...