The existing Mill Woods Sport Park exists as broad, flat, low sloping planes of seeded lawn, which contain a numerous diversity of sport playing fields, trails and amenities for the community and the city of Edmonton. The Mill Woods Sports Pavillion is designed through a place of convergence and begins with the idea of public access which includes the physical access to the sport fields, access to washrooms, access to concessions and access to the 360 degree landscape.
The siting of the building respects the current masterplan of the park and integrates with the existing pathways, roads, parking lots and playing fields. The building's location results in a central landmark, which should be highly visible from current park access points and the surrounding neighbourhood. Location and orientation of the building entry and exit points, change rooms and viewing areas, each have considered relationships with the playing fields and pathways immediately adjacent to the pavilion's location.
The architecture of the building springs from a notion of extending the landscape of the park into the building. Through cut and then fill, earth becomes the moulded material from which the new pavilion is placed. The pavilion's relationship to landscape creates an undulating and safe public park entity in which citizens of the area begin to forge a new relationship with sports, physical activity, each other and their environment. The land is moulded into berms of a "human scale" to engage pedestrian movement, encourage activity and excite the senses. With a long ramp on the south side of the building, an accessible walkway to the upper level, with its concession and elevated observation areas, is universally connected to all of the community. Additionally, the sloping turf, which eventually merges with the adjacent fields, provides a grassy bleacher to take in the active horizon of sporting activities. The centre not only supports the sport activities of the park, but also supports community interaction. This is a place where individuals can have community meetings, where seniors could meet to play cards, where others will grab a snack while out walking their dog, take shelter from a summer rain shower, or escape for a moment of shade and hydration on those hot summer days. These are the urban places where we meet each other and become a community.
The defining feature of the pavilion is a roof that cantilevers out on all sides and provides shade and cover for spectators in an otherwise unshaded park. Building on a concept referencing the regional oil industry of Alberta, the roof structure, is speculated to consist of an engineered honeycomb structure made from decommissioned steel pipeline of various diameters. The resultant roof texture is unique and provides a memorable experience through this artistic recycled structural frame. Additionally, through this frame, circular skylights will be placed in a unique pattern of illuminated interior space below.
The upper level contains a concession with indoor and outdoor seating areas, a public meeting room, offices and numerous viewing areas of the sport fields and the common space below. The second level roof terraces provide additional areas where coaches and visitors are afforded clear views over the sport fields and additionally contains the opportunity for a single lawn bowling court. On the ground floor level and partially submerged within the landscaped berms are the team changing rooms, public washrooms, first aid room, mechanical room and a common activity area where teams can gather. All changing areas will be developed to capture natural daylighting with strategically place skylights and direct access to the nearby sport fields. To the south of the building, a detached berm defines the main entrance promenade from the south parking lot and buried within it contains the required team equipment storage spaces which are therefore easily accessible to vehicles. The linear parking lot converts itself into a long paved walkway that direct visitors to the entrance, through the building atrium and out towards the major field on the north side of the site.
(From competitor's text)
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