Apollo

A temporary installation for Pasmore’s Pavilion, Peterlee, County Durham. UK

Victor Pasmore’s ‘Apollo’ Pavilion sits at the heart of the Sunny Blunts estate in Peterlee. A grade II listed brutalist folly built in 1969 and named after the first manned lunar landing that year. ‘Apollo’ was a temporary installation that intersected with the pavilion structure for four days in 2019.

Four large orange forms intersect the pavilion at right angles to the main orientation and appear to slice through the pavilion. The blocks are drawn from the geometry of the pavilion and a nod to the remote object planes of Victor Pasmore’s work.

The inflatable textiles blocks create a juxtaposition between the angular grey concrete of the pavilion and the soft, rounded, colourful forms of the installation. The intervention is deliberately bold with a strong visual aesthetic to temporarily transform the pavilion. The piece is also, on the surface, playful, tactile and accessible - encouraging the audience to look at the pavilion with fresh eyes.

A large circular hole in block no.1 allows access into the pavilion while framing the abstracted geometry of the pavilion interior. Once inside, the colour adds accents to the negative spaces and a unique sense of experience within the body of the pavilion.

‘Apollo’ was commissioned by Durham County Council as part of a year’s celebration marking the 50th anniversary of the pavilion. ‘Apollo’ was supported using public funding by the National Lottery through Arts Council England.