Getty . Gunawan . Jacobs

Temporary festival structure . Providence

+ Holcim Awards

This small construction project explores the reintroduction of the ancient phenomenon of “Sukkahs”, temporary structures, biblical in origin, ostensibly used for one week as a dwelling during the Jewish holiday of Sukkot. The basic principles of the small structure as an ephemeral, translucent and not fully enclosing hut are taken up in the Shim Sukkah as a wooden structure relying on one material and construction element – prefabricated stacks of cedar shims. Uniquely, this secondary construction material, commonly used to fill small gaps or spaces between objects, becomes the main feature of the construction, providing the needed shelter and capacity for rather easy dismantling and reconstruction.

Start of construction:
September 2011
Main author:
David Jon Getty, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI, United States
Further authors:
Matthew Jacobs, Stephanie Gunawan, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, RI, United States