Pop-up architecture - instant public space

This paper is an investigation of the concept of pop-up architecture in its most frequently used forms, and of the way in which such economical, small-scale, fast-implementing, people-oriented interventions can create a network of public spaces with one main purpose: social cohesion, aggregation, interpersonal relationships and communication.

This oftentimes leads to the prevalence of social interactions having consumption (of products, information, experiences, entertainment, etc.) as ultimate goal. Moreover, even public space projects specifically designed with human cohesion and congregation in mind can deviate from this aim, and be considerably slowed down by the difficulty of implementing and following through with strategies and policies involving too many variables and actors with various interests (the authorities, investors, etc.).

Pop-up architecture is steadily gaining recognition as a viable answer to this problem. Derived from the craft of creating books which, once open, reveal ingeniously fabricated three-dimensional images, pop-up architecture is a new breed of soft, movable, flat-pack, put-it-together / take-it-apart, nomadic way of space-making.

Key words: pop-up architecture, pop-up park, pop-up square, pop-up art, human cohesion and congregation