Awarded through a national design competition in 2011, the Borden Park Pavilion attempts to recall the history of Borden Park through the reintroduction of the playful qualities of its status as an amusement park in the early 20th century.
The scheme makes overtly manifest the iconic geometry of classical parks and pavilions in its pedestrian design, comprised of axial and curving paths that merge into circuses at key points. This notion is further carried out by the circular form of the amenity pavilion itself, which also engages in a formal relationship with the park?s other geometric structures from past and present, such as the carousel, bandshell and Ferris wheel. Adjacent to the pavilion, a series of entry courts and seating patios emerge as soft and hardscaped rings ? a trajectory of the building form into the landscape, as well as an expansion of its visual and useable footprint. Material simplicity and structural uniqueness result in a building of studied minimalism. A distinct architecture is achieved through a seamlessly integrated building façade comprised of a glulam Douglas fir structural frame and an SSG (structural silicone glazed) curtain wall incorporating sealed glazed units. Both structure and cladding are triangulated and faceted, which allows the expression of the structural grid and pattern on the building?s exterior. The resulting floor-to-ceiling glazing provides captivating panoramic views from the pavilion while blurring the boundary between in...