Sit for a While 2026: Scaffolding Platforms in Lugano
An installation by SKNYPL for the 6th Biennale Svizzera del Territorio in Lugano, Switzerland, exploring urban demolition.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
- SKNYPL built observation platforms from scaffolding and safety mesh
- Created for the 6th Biennale Svizzera del Territorio
- Located at Piazzale di Besso and Via Pazzalino 1
- Highlights the contradictions of urban demolition in Lugano
Architecture practice SKNYPL has designed a multi-site installation titled Sit for a While for the 6th Biennale Svizzera del Territorio in Lugano, Switzerland. Held under the theme Handle with Care, the project examines the ongoing tensions between municipal maintenance, architectural preservation, and urban demolition.
Drawing from archival research, local press accounts, and historic municipal documents, the studio identified a recurring urban condition in Lugano. Despite a well-preserved built environment, unprotected twentieth-century structures and nineteenth-century villas are frequently demolished, leaving behind lingering gaps in the urban fabric.
Stock photo for illustration only, not from the actual event
To interrogate these conditions, the studio utilized modular observation platforms constructed from standard scaffolding pipes, walkboards, and synthetic construction safety mesh—materials typically associated with pending demolition and site turnover.
Repurposing temporary construction materials into elevated public seating offers a compelling critique of architectural lifecycles. By framing contested urban voids, the installation prompts a critical dialogue on how cities evaluate historical preservation versus modern development.
The intervention occupies two separate urban locations facing uncertain futures. The first site is at Piazzale di Besso near the central railway station, occupying an unbuilt void left by a previous demolition. The second site is located at Via Pazzalino 1, abutting a decommissioned municipal school building facing potential teardown.
By turning temporary construction infrastructure into elevated seating, the installation provides viewpoints for the public to observe contested structures and urban voids, questioning current preservation criteria and the architectural lifecycle of existing buildings.
Source: designboom
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