NOOKOMIS GARDEN
Imagine a lush verdant garden in the heart of the city. Imagine it is nestled within a large landform--the open palm of a giant hand sculpted in stone. The hand symbolizes the animism of the earth. In cradling the garden, it guides us to care for nature.
It is called Nookomis for this sense of caring guidance. In some Anishnaabe origin stories Nookomis fell from the moon to the earth, and life on Earth is connected to Nookomis, whose gentle hand has long guided the Anishnaabe people in planting, harvesting, hunting, gathering and ceremony. Nookomis literally translates as my grandmother; the teachings of our grandparents occupy a privileged place in society.
Nookomis Garden is a physical manifestation of the gifts we are offered by the natural world - the stone of the earth, the waters, the soil and the plants that nourish us. It reflects how we are part of that natural world even in the populous heart of our towering city.
(From competitor's text)
The Jury agreed that this concept was thorough, carefully considered and were intrigued by the compelling big idea: the Open Hand public artwork that was completely integrated into the design. It created an evocative, tactile sculptural topography that promoted interaction and informal opportunities for play, seating and gathering.
Despite some concern about the legibility of the 'open hand' at grade, the jury appreciated that it would be legible when looking down on the park from nearby buildings and that it would become more apparent over time as people revisited the park. While some jury members found the illustration of the oak woodland forest in the palm of hand evocative, only a single tree was proposed, and jurors felt more could have been done to create a lush landscape.
The pavilion was conceptually well executed, tucked into the landscape with design strategies that were clear and thoughtfully considered. Specifically, the team understood that "best practices" are no longer adequate to address carbon net zero targets and that decisions must begin with a rigorous assessment of materials and assemblies, bringing carbon focused innovation to conventions of small building design. The Jury commended the team's commitment to a creative and comprehensive sustainability strategy.
Although the jury appreciated the team's acknowledgment of operational needs, they felt there was too much hard surface included in the park. Jury members commented on the lack of variety in the routes through the park and noted that there should have been some larger gardens and narrower paths, to create varied experiences within the park.
(From jury report)
34 scanned / 34 viewable
- Presentation Panel
- Presentation Panel
- Presentation Panel
- Presentation Panel
- Presentation Panel
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Perspective
- Site Map
- Site Plan
- Plan
- Plan
- Section
- Section
- Elevation
- Elevation
- Axonometric Drawing
- Axonometric Drawing
- Schema
- Sketch
- Sketch
- Diagram
- Reference Image
- Reference Image
- Reference Image
- Reference Image
- View
