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Field of Play –

Construction-Site Products as Performative Landmarks 2004

Field of Play is conceived as a temporary pavilion for Paris’s 2012 Olympic bid, constructed from the very materials, actors, and infrastructures that typically constitute a construction site. Assembled from a modular kit-of-parts—including tower cranes, scaffolding, and bagged trees—the installation critiques the environmental impact of mega-events while reimagining the latent performative potential of building technologies.

The pavilion organizes public experience through a raised platform accessed from the site’s main axis, where visitors recline to gaze at the sky or ascend elevators to expansive views of the city. From this base, a series of cranes rise into the Parisian skyline, their arms draped in white, recycled cloth internally illuminated to create a luminous, ephemeral landmark. Choreographed crane operators animate the installation, their movements recalling the gestures and agility of Olympic athletes at the scale of the urban horizon.

By mobilizing cranes—ordinarily symbols of urban growth—as kinetic performers, the project blurs boundaries between infrastructure, spectacle, and architecture. Designed as a temporary structure, the pavilion relies on demountable scaffolding and landscaping materials that are subsequently reused in the construction of athlete housing, underscoring a model of adaptability and material responsibility.

HIGHLIGHTS Field of Play received a Notable Design Citation in the Olympic Landmark for Paris 2012 International Design Competition. Selected as one of 24 finalists and ranked within the top 30 of 454 submissions, the project was recognized by a jury of renowned architects, designers, civic leaders, and Olympic and Paralympic champions.

The project was exhibited at the Pavillon de l’Arsenal in Paris from December 7, 2004 to February 13, 2005, as part of a public presentation of international proposals for the Paris 2012 Olympic landmark competition. Field of Play was also featured in the exhibition catalog 454 Projects for Paris 2012, which documented entries from over 80 countries.