Spanish Pavilion
Expo Belgrade, RS
2027
The football pitch is also a stage for social change. Following Spain’s World Cup, we are happy to share FAIRPLAY, our competition entry for the Spanish Pavilion at Expo 2027 Belgrade, ranked among the top 4 finalists. Responding to the theme "Play for Humanity," the project reimagined the football stadium as a civic forum, bringing together tifos, archival materials, and documentaries, to explore how Spanish football has become a powerful platform for confronting racism, sexism, and violence. From the public mobilizations surrounding Vinícius Jr., Jenni Hermoso, and Lamine Yamal, the exhibition traced how football has sparked collective protest, civic debate, and institutional reform. The proposal took the form of a timber podium, entered through a sequence of portals that led visitors into a central arena sheltered beneath a lightweight tensile canopy. Rather than presenting an idealized image of Spain, FAIRPLAY portrayed a society in transition. The project combines three construction systems: a timber podium integrating seating and support spaces and accessed through a series of vomitories; a lightweight steel roof assembled largely from reclaimed elements and supported by a radial cable structure inspired by contemporary stadiums; and a retractable tensile mesh enclosure that regulates light and acoustics while serving as a projection surface, transforming the pavilion's atmosphere for exhibitions and public events.
Author:
Manuel Bouzas
Salazar Sequero Medina
Status:
Competition (Finalist)
Visual Identity:
Miguel Quiroga
Organizer:
AC/E
