Mariana de Delás, Gartnerfuglen Arkitekter and 2monos studio have collaborated on the construction of En Passant, a small red pavilion in France that invites passersby to stop and play chess.

En Passant has a tall, slender structure distinguished by its oversized hip roof, which is designed to stand out within the green landscape of Parc des Îles in the town of Lens.

This is helped by its bright red cladding, which is made from powder-coated metal and was chosen by de Delás and Gartnerfuglen Arkitekter to mimic the boldness of «paradise birds in the rainforest».

En Passant’s structure comprises a steel frame wrapped in the red powder-coated hip roof, both prefabricated in Mallorca before being shipped to the site.

Inside there are four steel chairs with Mares stone seats, which are bolted to a concrete slab foundation and double as supports for the roof. They are complemented by a matching chessboard, made from the same stone.

The large hip roof is designed to blocks outward views to help users focus on the chess table, but to ensure ample daylight while playing, a plexiglass skylight has been positioned overhead.