Take a look at our demountable pavilion, whose components have found a second life in a family home, a squash court and even a motorcycle race track.

In early 2023, Stora Enso was once again the presenting sponsor of the FIS Nordic World Ski Championships in Planica, Slovenia. To welcome guests and athletes, a flexible space and promotional pavilion were constructed to showcase wood-based products and construction solutions. The temporary pavilion was designed as a modular structure, allowing its components to be removed and used again in future projects.

The architects from studio abiro and the team at CBD, d.o.o. worked closely with Stora Enso to develop a design that preserved the original characteristics of the wood components and enabled their use in future construction projects following the 11-day championship event. 

The accordion rooftop, for example, used Sylva™ by Stora Enso CLT Roofs to interconnect and transfer the structure's load-bearing weight with the Sylva™ LVL Beams and Columns down into the foundations with all the simplicity of a house of cards that cleverly mirrors the surrounding mountains and playfully suggests a ski jump. Each panel maintained its production dimensions, and drilling and inserts were kept to a minimum so they could be fully demountable and reused.

The 700 m² decking and slatted wall elements were constructed using Sylva CLT Walls, which stiffened the structure by acting as shear walls.

ThermoWood® was used for the cladding. The material is manufactured through a thermal modification process involving heat and steam treatment of redwood. The treatment alters the characteristics of the wood, making it suitable for a range of exterior applications. Following the event, the cladding components were planned for use in other construction projects, including exterior railings at a squash court.

In a world where construction and demolition waste accounts for a third of all the garbage, Planica offers a sustainable alternative. While the idea is not new it is catching on! We're seeing more and more examples of temporary structures being built this way, including some of the pavilions and stands for the Summer Paris Olympics, B&K Structure's Noma Pavilion and the UK Pavilion at the Expo 2025 Osaka to name just a few recent ones. 

And we are also seeing more permanent structures being designed for reuse, such as the Bourdonnières School in La Verrie, France, which is designed so it can be dismantled and reused by future generations.

Publications

Wood In Architecture Issue 2, 2024

Would you like to view more event spaces built with wood? 

World Expo 2025 Pavilion Czech Republic

Athletes' Village Ski Flying World Championships

Eco Pavilion, Nordic World Ski Championships

BMW Artville

Slovenia Pavilion EXPO Milano 2015

Nordic World Ski Championships 2015 Administration Office