Western Massachusetts American Institute of Architects, Honor Award, 2016.
This 3,300 sqft building serves as a spectator pavilion for the new recreation fields in Florence, Massachusetts. Prior to the town purchasing the land for public recreation, the fields had been farmland for over a century. The form of the pavilion references the agricultural history of the site, as well as the outdoor nature of the program, by taking a modern approach to a classic New England barn.
The pavilion provides a strong, quiet backdrop for the activity on the fields, and offers shelter and seating for the players and spectators gathered there. Strung between each pier is a built-in bench, providing spectator seating, and—on the side facing the parking lot—seating for those waiting to be picked up.
Spatially, the building explores the ability of modular forms to read as both solid and void.
With Kuhn Riddle Architects.
Builder: Inglewood Development Corporation.