Stage Design From Borrowed Building Materials Explores Reuse in Temporary Architecture

Temporary architecture often depends on newly manufactured materials. Teams assemble these structures for a single event before dismantling them again. Studio-Method offers a different approach. The Rotterdam-based practice designed a festival stage using structural components that already had a future purpose. Instead of buying new materials or recycling existing ones, the team borrowed construction elements and returned them after the event. This approach demonstrates how temporary architecture can fit within a circular material system.

A Stage Built From Materials on Loan

Studio-Method designed the stage for the first edition of the Nieuwe Gilde arts and music festival in Frederiksoord, the Netherlands. The festival takes place at a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is known for its historic Colony of Benevolence. To realise the project, the designers partnered with demolition and reuse specialist Borkgroep.

The team sourced scaffolding pipes, hollow-core concrete slabs and steel H-beams that already belonged to an upcoming renovation project. Rather than purchasing new materials, they borrowed these structural elements for the duration of the festival. After the event, the team dismantled the stage without glue or permanent fixings. The materials then returned to the construction project for which they were originally intended. As a result, the stage temporarily became part of the materials’ existing lifecycle instead of creating a new one.

Design Driven by Existing Materials

The available materials shaped both the design and the construction process. Instead of hiding structural elements inside floors or walls, Studio-Method made them the main architectural feature. Steel beams, scaffolding and concrete slabs remained fully visible and defined the character of the stage.

The design also responds to its surroundings. Studio-Method positioned the stage in the open landscape of Frederiksoord and referenced the proportions of a small temple facing a public square. By reusing industrial construction elements in this way, the project explores how existing materials can create a finished architectural expression without additional fabrication.

A Different Approach to Temporary Architecture

Studio-Method believes that temporary architecture should consider the future use of its materials from the start. The studio points to the large amount of waste generated by the events industry and argues that reuse requires a different way of working. Designers need time to locate, clean and adapt existing components instead of relying on new, standardised products.

A small construction team assembled the stage on site with support from festival volunteers. This collaborative process shifted the focus from manufacturing new materials to making better use of existing ones. The project suggests that reclaimed structural elements can become valuable design resources rather than compromises. It also shows how circular construction principles can support temporary cultural events without disrupting the future use of the materials involved.

Source & photos: Studio-Method