Street and city
Kiosk
plaza park waterfront promenade garden
A small, open pavilion in the plaza or park, for music, selling or resting.
What it solves
It provides a roofed meeting point in public space. In the tropics it offers shade and shelter from the rain while letting the breeze through.
Today
Design it open, with a broad roof, a step-free floor or a ramp and an electrical connection for activities. It should be usable for music, markets or classes.
Common mistake
Closing it with bars or turning it into a storeroom, which kills the life of the plaza.
Tomorrow
The kiosk’s roof can collect rain for the park. Built of timber or bamboo by local carpenters and cared for by the neighborhood association, it serves as a stage, an outdoor classroom and a shelter from the downpour.
Where it comes from
- 1Persia and the Ottoman world Persia and Anatolia, since the 13th century
The word comes from the Middle Persian kōšk through the Turkish köşk, a garden pavilion open on its sides. - 2Costa Rica Parque Morazán, San José, 1910 and 1920
An octagonal kiosk from 1910 was replaced in 1920 by the Temple of Music, the stage for band concerts.
Masters
- Diébédo Francis Kéré Serpentine Pavilion, London, United Kingdom, 2017
He designed a broad roof like the crown of the tree where his village gathers, with open sides and a central opening that collects rain. It is a pavilion designed for meeting.
Appears in the routes
See also
Also in Street and city
Diagrams and texts by LDB Arquitectura. They are shared under the CC BY 4.0 license, which allows them to be used and adapted with credit to the source.