Council Cave
Click for hi-res drawing 1
Click for hi-res drawing 2
Description:
"Council Cave” is a fictional, imagined dining area for Council Crest park that attempts to orient the user toward the horizon of earth, depth, and ground - Council Crest is well-known as the highest point in urban Portland, so why not point out the “lowest depths” there, as well? The formal design was initially inspired by elemental and alchemical symbology for earth. Bathrooms and potable water are available within the structure, as well as a grill for preparing food. The building is thrust into the west-facing hill of Council Crest, allowing the upper level of the structure to be nearly level with the road. Concealing the startling secret within this structure is the unassuming, landscaped top, coherent with the rest of the park --- with the exception of the 3-foot tall glass pyramid in the center, the first sign that this building is more than it at first seems. An elevator or staircases carries individuals down, down, down into the building, whereupon they emerge and discover a cavernous space containing an alarming and overwhelming inverted bronze pyramid hanging from the ceiling. A fine, raised deck platform awaits their footsteps, and beyond - a startling glass floor, beneath which there appears to be infinite nothing - infinite depth. Finally, large openings on the far wall provide exit to another deck space, this one outside.
Perspective and plan drawings were created for this project, as well as a scale architectural model.