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Architects: gh3*
- Area: 245 m²
- Year: 2014
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Photographs:Raymond Chow
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Manufacturers: Vitrum
Text description provided by the architects. A building that is materially simple but structurally unique.
This building commission was awarded through an International Design Competition held by the City of Edmonton in 2011. One of the fundamental approaches underpinning our competition entry was an integrated approach to environmental sustainability in the choice of materials. Our concept was to make reference to historic elements (a carousel and a bandstand) existing on the site, in this case, a City Park.
The building recalls the iconic geometry of classical parks and pavilions, given the surrounding curving paths and loose axial relationships, typical of traditional English school of landscaping. Inside, the core of the circular pavilion contains public toilets and vending machines, encircled by a small seating area, offering unobstructed views of the park through its elegant, laminated timber truss structure. From the outside, the pavilion is clad with triangulated, highly reflective glass panels, effectively dissolving into its surroundings.
The integrated building façade is comprised of glulam Douglas Fir, overclad with sealed glazed units. Both the structure and the cladding are triangulated and faceted. Floor to ceiling glazing is fixed to the wood structure and allows captivating views out from the pavilion while expressing the structural grid and pattern on the exterior. This mirrored glass facade reflects the surrounding park and seasons in striking triangular facets.
With its prominent wood and concrete component, the pavilion proves its success in the choice of durable, permanent, and timeless materials. The structural ambition of the design emphasises the use of rough whitewashed laminated timbers, whose rich patina and spatial arrangement recall the iconic structures and materiality of the park’s history while foregrounding the sustainable character of the building. The buildings remaining palette consists of simple materials that, in character, emphasize the surrounding landscape, and in quality, ensure a robust and enduring building.
