Collection by Allie Weiss
Earth Day Inspiration: Prefab Pavilion Celebrates Nature in the Heart of Chicago
Completed in 2010, the Nature Boardwalk designed by Studio Gang Architects introduced a pavilion and boardwalk to a pond site at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. It also recast the area as a thriving ecosystem in the middle of the city.
Watch the video below to hear Jeanne Gang of Studio Gang Architects talk about the project. "As the footprints of cities get bigger and bigger, think about how hard it is for kids living in the middle of the city to get to nature," she says. This is a way to rethink what an urban environment is."
The project also invovled deepening and revitalizing the existing pond. "Designing a pond to be 20 feet deep instead of three feet deep improves the oxygen level and the water quality," Gang explains.
The curved structure consists of prefabricated, bent-wood pieces and is illuminated from within at night.
Due to the prefab construction of the wood frame, installation on site only took about five days. A fiberglass dome protects the shelter from rain.