The Belmar mixed-use development is located on a once abandoned regional shopping mall. As part of the 100-acre Villa Italia Brownfield redevelopment, our firm and EDAW were retained to design and implement the signature green space of the neighborhood. The pavilion, a 2,800 square foot. open-air structure, provides an urban edge to the neighborhood park and a shaded gathering area for both residents and patrons. The design marries traditional park planning principles and a contemporary detail vocabulary, anchored by the Belmar Square Pavilion. The design team’s vision created an abstraction of the adjacent street trees and their canopies – a civic ‘sculpture’ more so than a structure. By using natural materials and introducing texture into these object-like pieces, the pavilions become almost fabric in nature. Six massive core-ten steel columns and steel frames above, infilled with wood trellis slats, define an overhead horizontal datum and create a vertical edge between the park and the street. The wood trellis filters the penetrating light, providing a varying quality of shade and shadow throughout the day. The steel and acrylic scupper provides protection from the elements and adds a layer of interest by distorting and accentuating light; collecting and spilling water onto a stone catch located in the nearby garden. Sandstone slabs create walls and benches that anchor the remaining vertical elements in the park. Integrated with the landscape, they playfully provide an opportunity for conversation under the canopies, and allow passersby an inviting glimpse into the park.Sustainable design goals established early in the project process have been met or exceeded and the park will serve as a model of the modern urban oasis.
View Original