Citing an underutilized area occupied by an earth berm bordering the 8,000 seat Amphitheatre that was originally incorporated to provide acoustical mitigation, the opportunity was identified to reclaim and repurpose the area covered by the berm and to rectify the lack of a connection between the amphitheater and the remainder of the fairgrounds facility. The complete project involved; reconfiguring the berm and reclaiming programmable site area, a central plaza, restroom facilities, ticket kiosks, and a new point of entry to the amphitheater, while continuing mitigation of the acoustical energy emanating from the amphitheater to the surrounding residential neighborhood.
REPURPOSE
Initiate a new active node at the west end of the 180-acre fairgrounds facility by uncovering underutilized area, we proposed shifting an existing 40-foot-high by 600-foot-long berm originally incorporated for acoustical mitigation at the amphitheater to reclaim 3.06 acres for repurposing.
ACTIVATE
Integrate facilities to engage patrons via a new 32,500 square foot central plaza with raised informal stage and terraced seating, ticketing kiosks and light towers illuminate and define the space. Flexible program space with connectivity for the ephemeral ‘nomadic city’ converging yearly, flank the plaza to each side.
WEAVE
Engage the amphitheater and nomadic city’s ‘public square’ unifying it to the fairgrounds in harmonized experience. Though effectuating security and acoustical containment, the entry building is designed as a part of the plaza, both in the shared ground surface that emanates from within the building to the edges of the plaza and visually permeable woven façade conjoining the whole.