Pilsen Latina Legacies Pavilion
ARCHITECTURE
This public pavilion envisions a "living monument" that honors Latina contributions through a thoughtfully crafted design identity, meaningful community engagement, and dynamic activation opportunities. It celebrates the community through storytelling, public art, and multifunctional spaces that encourage reflection, connection, and shared experiences.
Led by the Pilsen Latina Legacies with support from the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events (DCASE), Borderless Studio developed a concept design for a public pavilion to be located at El Paseo Community Garden in Pilsen, a South Side neighborhood in Chicago.
This pavilion project is part of DCASE’s Chicago Monuments Project—an initiative that aims to evaluate and reshape the city’s public monuments and memorials to reflect Chicago’s diverse histories and cultural values.
The Pilsen Latina Legacies Pavilion commemorates the 50th anniversary of Mujeres Latinas en Acción, and honors the memory of the 1979 Pilsen street fair, Festival de Mujeres. Mujeres Latinas en Acción is the longest-standing Latina-led organization in the nation, offering community services and advocacy programs that empower Latinas and their families.
PROCESS
Interpreting collective imagination
For the design process of this pavilion, Pilsen Latina Legacies hosted a series of intergenerational community engagement workshops, inviting participants to reimagine and design potential monuments through drawing and writing. The ideas generated from these workshops have been instrumental in conceptualizing the design of a pavilion that reflects the community’s vision.
PROCESS
Lightness and dynamism
This vibrant pavilion features a gracefully curved, porous canopy inspired by the intricate patterns of Mexican “papel picado” (perforated paper) and the form of a “hoja de tamal” (corn husk). Suspended by bold, arching columns, the canopy provides shade while casting dynamic patterns of light and shadow. Open and inviting, the design seamlessly integrates with the landscape, fostering community connection and engagement.
