Phantom Formwork

Phantom Formwork is a wire mesh cube with a subtracted tubular void. Its geometries are loosely inspired by the architectural language of the transit infrastructure linking Arlington to the Capitol. 

The pavilion was designed to enhance the landscape’s role as a refuge from the heavy traffic interchange of Columbia Pike and George Mason Drive. The lush meadow-like plantings and circular seating areas adjacent encourage users to pause along the cut-through path. We saw an opportunity to strengthen this invitation by creating a vertical point of interest and providing shade and enclosure at the seating area.

The project was fabricated in Austin and delivered in eight ‘chunks’ to the site, where it was assembled in two days.