Domo Pompeia - T03 - 14ᵃ Bienal Internacional de Arquitetura de São Paulo

Project development: Brazil

The POMPEIA DOME is the result of an academic and experimental exercise conducted by Class III of the Postgraduate Course “Wooden Architecture: Design and Technology” at the Madeira Center in partnership with the IPT.

The project arose from the challenge of creating a detachable, lightweight, and hand-built structure, using wood as the primary material. A domus wasn't the first proposal, but the circular geometry gained stability in the prototypes developed, and an evolution of processes emerged. The proposal involved everything from the initial design, through the structural study, to the complete execution of the project by the students themselves, in a collective process of intense experimentation.

The choice of manual construction was not only a practical limitation, but above all a pedagogical and conceptual decision. Every joint, cut, and connection of the domus was made without the use of industrial machinery, allowing participants to reconnect with the physical understanding of the material. This direct immersion provided a unique learning experience about wood's strength, plasticity, and behavior under various structural stresses.

Seen from above, the structure reveals its radial geometry. Wooden slats extend from a central core and extend around the perimeter, forming a pattern that combines symmetry and organicity. The lines suggest a spiraling movement, reminiscent of forms found in nature, such as petals or leaf veins. This constructive logic ensures a balance of forces, with each element working in compression and flexion, supported by the whole. In this frame, the dome appears not only as an architectural object but also as a living diagram of the relationship between form and the path of forces.

The Pompeii Dome thus establishes itself as a constructed experiment: a space where theory and practice merge, creating a space for living and contemplation. It highlights the potential of wood as a structural element in modular systems, exploring precise connections that ensure stability while revealing an aesthetic of lightness and organicity.

The name was given in honor of architect Prof. Dr. Roberto Alfredo Pompeia, who passed away prematurely in 2024 and was responsible for the "Structural Concepts in Wood: Form" course in the Wood Architecture program. The course is a partnership between IPT and the Wood Technology Reference Center, and its objectives include promoting the use of this noble, sustainable, and renewable material in civil construction.

The project's implementation reinforces the importance of experimentation in teaching architecture and wood engineering. More than a single construction, the domus is the result of a collective process that values craftsmanship, cooperation, and technical research. By physically occupying the space, the POMPEIA DOME embodies the intersection of construction tradition and contemporary research, using wood as the material for the future.

Participate in the program of debates, workshops and associated activities!

TODAY (10.10)

2:30 pm – table Risk-Free Periphery in the Context of Climate Change

4pm – table Knowing to Transform: Community Climate Risk Reduction and Adaptation Plans

6:30 pm – table Inclusive Adaptation: Nature-Based Solutions in the Peripheries

9am – Drawing Workshop: Oscar Niemeyer's Architecture in Ibirapuera Park and the Climate Challenge

IN THE NEXT DAYS (11 to 14.10)

ATTENTION the table Palmas: For 36 years, the ecological capital of Tocantins which would be held on 10/11 | 7pm was canceled.

11.10 and 12.10 | 9am – workshop Inventa(rio) Fronteiras: Playing for Multispecies Cities

11.10 | 10am – workshop Elémenterre teaching bag

11.10 | 11am – table Learning to inhabit the Anthropocene: the crisis of architecture

11.10 | 2pm – table Architecture for Learning and Civic Use

11.10 | 3pm – table Culture and Public Architecture

11.10 – 15h – workshop Elémenterre teaching bag

11.10 | 4pm – table Reconnecting with Nature & Circular Design

11.10 | 5pm – table Architecture of Belonging: Interpreting Heritage Through Place

12.10 | 10am – table Experience: Climate Refuges and Naturalized Public Spaces, with Eco-Neighborhood

12.10 | 10:30 am – table Childhoods and Climate: Climate Justice in Vulnerable Territories

12.10 | 10:30 am – Windsock Workshop with the Floating Collective

12.10 | 3pm – table Doing a lot with a little: architectures for a planet in transition with Esteban Benavides from Al Borde office

12.10 | 4:30 pm – table Earth – building a sustainable and democratic future

12.10 | 5:45 pm – table French presence at the Biennale and screening of the film AJAP – Albums of Young Architects and Landscape Architects

13.10 – activity Pantanal Action at IABsp

10/14 | 10am – table Urgent Panorama! Space as an act of permanence

14.10 | 6pm – Launch of the “Nature-Based Education” Guide

JOIN! IT'S ALL FREE!

And there's much more until October 19th!

NOTE OF CONDOLENCE

With deep sorrow, the Brazilian Institute of Architects – São Paulo Department (IABsp) mourns the passing of architect and landscape architect Kongjian Yu, a global leader in ecological urbanism, and the members of his team who accompanied him, tragically killed during the filming of a documentary. The institute is honored to have had him as a participant in the 14th São Paulo International Architecture Biennial, where his transformative vision strengthened the dialogue between global challenges and local realities. IABsp emphasizes that Yu's contribution, which transcends borders, will remain an inspiration for generations and expresses its condolences to China, to the families of all the deceased, to his friends, and to all those impacted by his genius and dedication. Read the full note here.

Pompeii Dome – T03

Class 03 of the Postgraduate Course “Wooden Architecture” of the Madeira Center/ IPT