The White Rock
Visitor Center Complex includes a visitor information center, transit system
parking, and an RV park, which serves as a starting point to nearby attractions
such as Bandelier National Monument, the Jemez Mountain region, and others
around Los Alamos County.
The design of the
Visitor Center takes inspiration from the area. Stone walls connect the
building to the bluff behind and pay homage to indigenous cultures, while a
unique “wood” shell opens outward to create an inviting presence, while
reinterpreting the vernacular architecture of this mountain community.
The greatest
challenge of the project was creating a “presence” with a small building on a
large site. To accomplish this, the building was oriented perpendicular to
State Road 4 and the finish floor was raised to develop an exterior grassy
gathering space lower than the building. Ringed by a xeric display garden, this
is one of first features visitors are greeted with as they approach the
complex.
Upon entering the
building, a dramatic day lit space soars upward toward a large fully shaded
southern glass facade supported by exposed wood beams. The exterior materials
are brought inside to create a seamless transition between outside and in.
Also, a new interpretation of an indigenous building concept, tucking smaller
spaces within larger sheltering ones, was used to form an earth-plaster-clad
multi media room inside the space.
One’s journey is
concluded with a large south-facing plaza which offers striking views of the
Sangre de Cristo Mountains.
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