Reflections

In the midst of fabrication of our 800 pieces, cutting 4,000 vinyl fasteners, and fastening zip ties, it has been easy to lose focus on what we are working for. What makes our pavilion unique? What fascinated us about it in the first place? We were initially attracted to the transparent and reflective qualities of glass. Because of these properties, we would still be able to see the surrounding trees and sky. Additionally, the angle of the triangles which define the structure will reflect the light in different ways than a simple flat pane of glass. The folded nature of the structure will also give it rigidity. The glass will not only generate an aesthetic experience, but it will also become structural hopefully allowing our structure to be self-supporting. These folds allow glass panes to be suspended above your head with little visual interruption. Also because our glass surface and the triangles that compose it decrease in size as the viewer approaches the center of it, the viewer will begin by viewing his environment through the glass, and as he approaches the center he will become more and more aware of the joints that compose the structure. First the viewer sees his environment and the structure is nearly invisible, but as the center approaches he becomes more aware of the lens through which he understands his environment. Hopefully, upon completion our glass pavilion will be something that produces these unique spatial experiences. With this in mind we assembled the middle arch of our pavilion today so that we can continue to build outward from this center point cutting polycarbonate pieces, inserting vinyl connections, and tightening zip ties.