by Retaw Shijia Liu
This project is asked to design a storage for camping and water-activity equipment on Gambier Island. At the conjunction of paths towards the forest and the beach, the storage undertakes a function of guiding people for different programs besides equipment placement. Additionally, the storage should also be recreational and attractive for both young couples and kids. Therefore, the design strategy is to create a pavilion in a parametric form that could be fairly legible for its function by reading its form, therefore fulfilling the mission of directing people as well as storage.
The form is simply generated by the trilateral route (main road/ path to forest/ path to beach). An eccentric over pavilion is placed on the knot and the gradient pattern indicates the direction to each programs. However, the oval shape is also divided into three parts in plan which will used as storage space correlate to different programs. The different functions (circulation and storage) coexist in the pavilion creating a strong contrast for spatial requirement. To clarify the intention of space to visitors, different forms are adopted for these two main functions. A gradually narrowed waffle structure for the outer shell could directly used for keep different items from kayak to emergency vest, while an organic and irregular tunnel made of wood strips are for the passageway. The double shells work together giving a strong contrast between geometrical and organic, stable and dynamic, manmade and natural, not only describing the function of the storage but also the characteristics about the site.
