The Arkansas architecture practice, Somewhere Studio, has been selected to design the City of Dreams pavilion for Roosevelt Island, N.Y. Now in its seventh year, the program encourages architects and designers to create environmentally friendly schemes for the pavilion that draw attention to the world’s increasing depletion of natural resources. Titled Salvage Swings, Somewhere Studio’s temporary art structure will consist of 12 swings contained within wood modular structures with open sides. The connected structures have alternating and flat single-pitched roofs. Laminated timber panels used for the modules have been salvaged from a construction site at the University of Arkansas.
The modules, assembled with finger joints, have windows carved into their solid walls in order to frame additional views of the surrounding landscape for the swingers. The modules will be arranged to create a triangular, central space that can accommodate community events. The firm will work together with arts organization FIGMENT, the Emerging New York Architects Committee, the Structural Engineers Association of New York, the Fay Jones School of Architecture and Design, and the Roosevelt Island Operating Corporation to determine a specific site on the island for the project.
The pavilion is expected to open this summer.