{"id":447336,"date":"2025-09-24T02:49:17","date_gmt":"2025-09-24T02:49:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/447336\/"},"modified":"2025-09-24T02:49:17","modified_gmt":"2025-09-24T02:49:17","slug":"japanese-joinery-shapes-adjaye-associates-record-setting-timber-pavilion-in-barbados","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/447336\/","title":{"rendered":"japanese joinery shapes adjaye associates&#8217; record-setting timber pavilion in barbados"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>adjaye associates\u2019 music venue completes first phase<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The Barbados National Performing Arts Pavilion has opened in Bridgetown as the first phase of a future national cultural center designed by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/david-adjaye\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>Adjaye Associates<\/strong><\/a>. Built for the Caribbean festival Carifesta XV, the pavilion sets the stage for an 85,000-square-foot performing arts complex that will anchor the Barbados Heritage District masterplan.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/wood-and-timber-architecture\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>timber<\/strong><\/a> structure is conceived as a \u2018meanwhile use\u2019 venue, and thus stands as an immediate cultural space while laying the groundwork for the permanent performing arts center which is scheduled for completion in 2026. By embedding the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.designboom.com\/tag\/temporary-pavilions\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>temporary pavilion<\/strong><\/a> into the permanent foundations, the design minimizes waste and ensures that materials will continue to serve the community as the project evolves.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>When complete in 2026, the final performing arts center will include a 1,500-seat auditorium, rehearsal studios, public terraces, and cultural amenities. The current timber frame will remain as a defining structural element.<\/p>\n<p><img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1155720 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"adjaye associates barbados\" width=\"818\" height=\"541\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/adjaye-associates-barbados-national-performing-arts-pavilion-designboom-01.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>images \u00a9\u00a0Adjaye Associates<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>the world\u2019s first 80-foot all-wood compression truss<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The <a href=\"https:\/\/www.adjaye.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>architects<\/strong><\/a> at Adjaye Associates works with <a href=\"https:\/\/structurecraft.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>StructureCraft<\/strong><\/a>, who engineered the world\u2019s first 80-foot all-wood compression truss for the pavilion. The truss transfers 120,000 pounds of tension without a single piece of metal, employing enlarged Okkake-Daisen-Tsugi joints inspired by traditional Japanese joinery. Slender cables brace the sloped columns to the foundations, creating a lateral system capable of withstanding hurricane-force winds while keeping the structural expression visible.<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Mass timber enabled a component-based construction process, allowing the pavilion to be designed and assembled in just four months. The sloped perimeter canopies will later be reconfigured as the roof structure for the permanent center, further extending the life of the material. This approach reflects Adjaye Associates\u2019 broader commitment to low-carbon architecture across the Caribbean.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1155721 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"adjaye associates barbados\" width=\"818\" height=\"576\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/adjaye-associates-barbados-national-performing-arts-pavilion-designboom-02.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>Barbados opens the National Performing Arts Pavilion designed by Adjaye Associates<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>Innovation in Timber by structurecraft<\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p><strong>Lucas Epp of StructureCraft highlights the unprecedented engineering achievement of the all-wood truss:<\/strong> \u2018Achieving the 80-foot clear span over Barbados\u2019 new center stage presented a unique opportunity: an all-wood truss, no metal, no screws. Structural optimization transforms the traditional tension-compression webs into pure compression \u2014 a truss reimagined as an arch. <\/p>\n<p>\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>\u2018Using ancient and modern timber joinery, each connection is carefully engineered and detailed for bending, compression, and tension. The single bottom chord splice transfers 160,000 pounds of tension using pure wood tenons. The top chord is spliced with three-foot deep okkake-daisen-tsugi joints scaled beyond historical precedent, transferring both bending and shear.\u2019<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1155722 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"adjaye associates barbados\" width=\"818\" height=\"543\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/adjaye-associates-barbados-national-performing-arts-pavilion-designboom-03.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>the pavilion debuts during Carifesta XV as the first phase of a national cultural center<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1155723 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"adjaye associates barbados\" width=\"818\" height=\"539\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/adjaye-associates-barbados-national-performing-arts-pavilion-designboom-04.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>StructureCraft engineers an 80-foot all-wood compression truss with no metal connections<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-1155724 size-full lazyload\" bad-src=\"data:image\/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP\/\/\/yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7\" alt=\"adjaye associates barbados\" width=\"818\" height=\"545\" src=\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/adjaye-associates-barbados-national-performing-arts-pavilion-designboom-05.jpg\"  data- loading=\"lazy\"\/><br \/>mass-timber allows a four month design and construction schedule for rapid assembly<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"adjaye associates\u2019 music venue completes first phase \u00a0 The Barbados National Performing Arts Pavilion has opened in Bridgetown&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":447337,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3939],"tags":[4021,4020,54171,4022,77,10489,16,15,8732],"class_list":{"0":"post-447336","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-arts-and-design","8":"tag-arts","9":"tag-arts-and-design","10":"tag-david-adjaye","11":"tag-design","12":"tag-entertainment","13":"tag-temporary-pavilions","14":"tag-uk","15":"tag-united-kingdom","16":"tag-wood-and-timber-architecture-and-design"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/pubeurope.com\/@uk\/115257001946601479","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/447336","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=447336"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/447336\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/447337"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=447336"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=447336"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=447336"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}