Xylem Pavilion in Fishtail
Kéré Architecture 

Xylem Pavilion in Fishtail

Kéré Architecture 


The Burkinabè architect Francis Kéré designed this permanent pavilion for the Tippet Rise Art Center in Fishtail, on the edge of Yellowstone National Park in Montana. The building joins a series of unique pieces that engage in dialogue with nature on the Tippet Rise estate, the authors of which include Alexander Calder and Ensamble Studio.

Using trunks of sick or dead pine trees, inspiration for the structure came from the toguna, a traditional shelter of the Dogon ethnic group of West Africa. The pavilion stands 4.75 meters at most, and the roof, whose diameter of 18.1 meters, is formed by hexagonal steel modules filled with trunks. The carved blocks of different heights are placed on curvilinear benches expressly positioned to optimize views of the surrounding landscape.