Sunset Pavilion
Studio: Tomecek Studio Architecture
Project: Sunset Pavilion
Location: Firestone, Colorado, USA
Year: 2016
Project Category: Moving
Photo credits: Tomecek Studio
Standing atop a hill overlooking the park entry, the Sunset Pavilion marks the intersection of multiple paths along a regional trail system. A dramatic steel structure cantilevers from grade, sheltering visitors from the harsh Colorado sun. Acting as a lens, the pavilion’s details are designed to emphasize the phenomenal qualities of the sun’s path throughout the day. A carefully diagrammed set of perforations along the overhead plane tracks the sun’s movement during the autumnal and vernal equinoxes.
A steel plate over the gabion wall suggests the immediate and distant view of the mountain range while simultaneously editing out the adjacent roadway and development in the foreground. In doing so, the pavilion not only references the emotional landscape at hand but also places the pavilion in part of a larger context geographically. The fluid shape of the concrete bench beneath the pavilion invites visitors to sit, climb, recline and view the landscape.
The sheer weight and materiality of the bench contrasts with the seemingly delicate and temporal structure overhead. Both combine to offer a functional opportunity for rest and shade while making present the natural phenomenon that speak to the power of the Rocky Mountains.