Pavilion in the Park
Located on the northern fringe of the large green field space, central to the Phoenix Park site in Dublin, the project is positioned amongst a junction of widely used desire lines. Focusing on the detail of concrete plinth meeting timber frame clad with opal white polycarbonate sheets - or the detail where the ground meets the sky – one may think of the natural occurrence of ground meeting sky; at the horizon.
The relationship between this particular detail and the horizon is especially evident when the function of the project is partially about the experience of nature from sheltered safety. The horizon is the point from which the full extent of the view extends towards the viewer.
The horizon is an undulating thing – never straight as we may draw it – and it depends on the viewpoint, perspective, and position of the observer. Presented here through the level datum of the consistent ground to sky detail, the undulating nature of the natural horizon is made evident to the occupier of the space. At times we are presented only with immediate foreground, middle ground, or full extent of the horizon as panorama. At points we experience more than one of these.
The end result is that the consistent detail has a profound effect on the spatial experience of the whole; as we stand, move, sit, and ultimately use the facilities of the project.
