Project Overview

The Falling Leaves Pavilion at Garvan Woodland Gardens integrates itself with the richly forested site of the Old Brick Hill Trail. Repetitive steel bents mark the intersection between two footpaths, creating a place of pause and respite for visitors to interact with and observe nature. The angled steel members are held in place by tension cables, tying to the brick walls and to the tops of the vertical steel posts. The form produced by this structural play lends itself to that of a tree, enhancing the visual connection between the natural and the man-made. Horizontal wood framing provides lateral stability while enhancing sight lines through the major axis. Linear artificial lighting emphasizes the wood members and becomes an integrated part of the design.
Despite being new construction, the project is treated as a ruin; something that once existed in a more solid state yet gained richness and retained a sense of wholeness through time and weathering. Conventional steel tubes, bars, and angles are used in an atypical, delicate composition to create a rich and airy structure which enforces the idea of ruin. In addition to the arrangement of structural elements, the project’s finishes contribute to this idea. Steel is intentionally rusted, and the inevitable aging of wood is encouraged. In addition to simply allowing for visibility at nighttime, artificial lighting puts the project on display like contemporary treatments of ancient Greek ruins.