This project was designed Fall 2021 after studying the Mesa House in Utah designed by Annabelle Selldorf.
The Mesa House is a private resort tucked into a desert, surrounded by Utah’s natural environment, making the structure serve the landscape, rather than vice versa. When looking at it, I felt the landscape was more of the focal point rather than the building itself. Its fairly rigid design lacking curvature and using seemingly simple extruded planes was adapted into my new design, along with the simplistic design and focus on the environment.
The Adirondack Pavilion, located in Upstate New York, utilizes ideas from the Mesa House at Amangiri, Utah. Like the Mesa House, this pavilion is designed with the purpose of being able to enjoy the building’s natural surrounding environment. The Mesa House is nested within the mountains, and this pavilion is similarly dug into a mountain in the Adirondacks, with stereotomic methods. The building itself is tectonic, adding to a larger 60-foot by 60-foot platform. The pavilion sees all four seasons, making it a prime view of the Adirondack mountains during the changing seasons. Its straight lines and use of one material, concrete, contrast the curves and uneven edges of its natural environment; and the usage of large glass panes allows for ample natural light and an experience that is in touch with nature and helps inform how one would move through the space. The lecture, or seating space, is also cradled within the structure itself. The pavilion is meant to be a reflective, and tranquil space, where activities such as painting, meditation, and photography classes as well as other recreational activities might happen. During the day, the pavilion may be focused primarily on the outside view, while at night, people might gather inside, looking towards the interior space – perhaps stargazing through the large skylight from the comfort of being inside or watching the meteor showers in the summer season.
