04 James J. Walker Park: work in progress
James J. Walker Park is constellated by segmented pieces. A sports field, a park, a playground, a series of handball alleys, and a swimming pool, all separated not only by fences, but also by rises and drops across the entire site.
A seasonal sheltering structure is proposed to substitute the fences separating the handball alleys from the park. As the old fence goes away, the ground is repaved with steps bridging the 4 ft drop in-between, forming a new passage within the park.
The intervention starts with the excavation of the ground and removal of the old fence, followed by the installation of precast concrete footings; CLT props are erected on top; The stepping scaffold comes into shape as the decks get installed; Finally, fences and nets are installed via and onto the same structure.
In summer, the assemblage is an integrated theatrical device for activities taking place in the park: a cage for playing handball, lamp posts for the pool at night, and spectator decks for the field.
The wooden structure is a scaffold that builds and un-builds itself. The interlocked relation between structure and surface, posts and nets, is formalized both through the geometry and its self-building process, where one becomes the means of realizing another.
In winter, the cage is disassembled. The handball alleys merge into the park as an extension to its adjacent playground, leaving traces of the assembly behind. The wall awaits the ball till the next festive moment.
The CLT structure is scaled modestly to obtain the effect of a theatrical prop. It creates a place for the local community to convene for sports events as well as other types of performances and events, as the seasonal disassembly allows for the handball alleys to be interpreted and occupied by other forms of play.