Addressing Racism in Sports Through Immersive Architectural Design: Yinka Ilori Imagines Reflective Pavilion for Haus der Kulturen der Welt in Berlin, Germany
British-Nigerian multi-disciplinary artist and designer Yinka Ilori MBE has designed a pavilion as part of Haus der Kulturen der Welt’s (HKW) festival in Berlin. The festival, titled Ballet of the Masses – On Football and Catharsis, initiated an annual pavilion in 2023, and this year’s pavilion dresses intricate questions of coexistence through its materiality and form. Part of the Shaped to the Measure of the People’s Songs architectural series, Yinka Illori’s pavilion crafts a spatial proposition that explores complex themes of racism in sports and personal accountability.
Through materiality and form, this year’s pavilion critically examines issues related to racism in sports. Its architectural design emphasizes the experience of players who constantly oscillate between a sense of belonging and a fear of radical exclusion. The pavilion aims to interrogate how to confront racist and discriminatory chants often heard at football games. The design features interior mirrors, encouraging self-reflection and reminding visitors of their accountability. Additionally, the round structure surrounds visitors with mirrors, creating the sensation of “being watched by a mass – a multiplication of oneself.”
Ilori’s design incorporates the calabash percussion instrument as a symbol of participation and conviviality, drawing inspiration from the knowledge systems of Western African societies. The calabash has several religious and practical uses in West Africa and is necessary for musical instruments like the kora and ngoni. Its inclusion in the pavilion, which creates a lively, participative environment reminiscent of a football game, is a sign of inclusivity. The chants of the masses at stadiums are mirrored, amplified, and reinterpreted by the integrated calabash instruments.
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Visitors are encouraged to actively participate in this multi-sensory experience, which seeks to resonate with individuals in attendance as well as the more extensive Ballet of the Masses event and pavilion. The calabash instruments allow guests to participate in the group symphony by interacting musically with the artistic narrative.
Drawing on his heritage to convey new narratives through contemporary design, Yinka Ilori MBE uses bold visual language incorporating Nigerian parables and verbal traditions. The designer featured his work in 2022 for the first time at the Design Museum in London. As temporary structures, pavilions hold the inherent power to tell compelling stories through immersive experiences. In other similar news, Lebanese French architect Lina Ghotmeh has revealed the design for the National Pavilion of the Kingdom of Bahrain for the Expo Osaka 2025. Last week, Seoul-based Korean architect Minsuk Cho revealed the edition of the 23rd Serpentine Pavilion in Kensington Gardens.
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