Grenade - Winner of the Pfff Inflatable Architecture Competition

The results of the Pfff Inflatable Architecture competition, organized by CityVision and FARM, have recently been announced at MACRO - Museum of Contemporary Art in Rome. Competition winner is the concept 'Grenade' by Emmanuel Sitbon and Selma Feriani of Paris-based SITBON ARCHITECTES.

The international panel of judges, comprising Italo Rota, President of the Jury (Studio Italo Rota, Milano), Benjamin Ball (Ball + Noguès, Los Angeles), Marco Canevacci (Plastique Fantastique, Berlin), Vanessa Todaro (OFL Architecture, Rome), and Andrea Bartoli (FARM), selected Grenade to be realized.

Project Description from the Architects:

Grenade aims to create a relation with its environment. Unplugged, the pavilion will be easily transported from town to town. 
It represents the identity of Farm: avant-gardist, anarchist and contemporary sponsor. As a mad plastic ovni, it promotes art exhibitions and presentation. A new way to spread art and culture in an original way.

Its volume is voluntarily attractive. It is also high to be easily located in the city. Some of the seeds are also scattered to create a route leading to the pavilion. Special for reading and presentation, the internal space gives a different perception of the outside. Each grain has a specific view and the skylight connect us to the sky. It shows a vision of the future city that dispatches 3D dimensions as grenades exploded.

The plastic allows great creative freedom. The choice of this material constitutes the envelope of the inflatable structure and has considerable influence on the behavior of Grenade. The complexity lies in the main forces acting on a structure like the air pressure inside the inflation and expenses (aerodynamic) wind.

The assembly time is remarkably lower than conventional stands then, the volume of transport is much lower. In addition, during its rapid rise, the state of surprised by the originality of the format is complete. Its weight allows it to be exposed anywhere with a low price. Mounting up the system can be done without any difficulty by anyone while remaining portable. All this without affecting the image of Farm. On the contrary. All is about having an original approach of the inflatable form, to show its best face.


The air pressure required to maintain position in an inflatable structure is low, a static pressure of about 1 inch of water, or 0036 psi is sufficient. Practically, the pressure will depend on the prevailing wind speed detected in the city where Grenade will be installed. In general, the minimum pressure of inflation of the inflatable structure is 50% of the dynamic wind pressure, which already allows it to withstand winds of 60 to 70 m / h. The ground is secured by the entire perimeter of the pavilion, so that it resists to the total effect of lift due to air pressure and wind. The anchoring ballast is a satisfactory method of fixation for the type of inflatable chosen. And sand, filling the lower seeds, are used at the base to make weight.

The Pavilion did not even need to name Farm because we recognized it directly. As the Happiness flag. It is the identity of Farm. A door open to horizons.
Inspire a breath of pomegranate to the city and gives a break in today’s world which is rather hyperspeed than low. Grenade promotes mobility by Farm and is like a buffer that absorbs the various cities imaginations where he settled and rebroadcasts them to its next stop. Moreover, the trace of light moving on the membrane suggests that art will always be a universal language.