At the center of the observance of the 500th anniversary of the Fuggerei social housing complex in Augsburg rises this pavilion built with cross-laminated timber (CLT), a work of MVRDV. It harbors the exhibition ‘Fuggerei of the Future,’ which proposes a new Fuggerei Code, and to test its principles, the Rotterdam firm also devised three proposals for similar affordable-housing developments, adapted to the needs of different places in the world.

For the shape of the pavilion – long, narrow, with a gable roof – the architects drew inspiration from the attached houses of the Fuggerei project. But one of the ends is curved and raised in an 8.5-meter cantilever to accommodate tiered seating for cultural events. The modular construction system makes the block easy to dismantle, ensuring it a second life.