Portavilion is an abbreviation for portable pavilion. As part of this program, artists and architects will create small public structures in the most popular parks in central London that will “roam” from place to place during the three summer months of 2008.
The project of Hopkins and Ericsson is called "The smallest cinema in the world - for the rich and respectable." This is a reference to a plan by a royal architect from the early 19th century. John Nash, who planned to create on the site of modern Regent's Park "King's Park" - a picturesque village for wealthy Britons (according to the architect himself - "for the rich and respectable"), closed from outsiders. This project was never fully implemented, and on the site of the "elite village" appeared one of the most beloved green recreational areas by Londoners.
"Smallest Cinema" is a streamlined plywood volume designed for just six spectators. It will screen, completely free of charge, a series of documentaries filmed by Ericsson herself last summer in Regent's Park and highlighting the "spontaneous" activities of its visitors.
While working on the project, Hopkins studied historical examples of mobile cinemas, from trailers with inside seating to vans with just a screen in the "interior" (in the latter case, the audience sat outside and watched a movie through the open back door of the van). The architect's goal was to create an appealing, sculptural space, within which a deeply personal and unique film experience awaits visitors.
The beginning of the Portavilion program is timed to coincide with the 2008 London Architecture Festival.
