Client: City of Palo Alto

Overview

The pavilion is a three-dimensional, materialized image documenting the life of its site, King Plaza over the course of one day. Ten triangular panels are printed with a projected pattern derived from photographs of the site. Approaching from the front, on axis with city hall, the printed pattern aligns with its surroundings: the building’s fenestration runs down across folded surfaces of the pavilion, and the plaza’s gridded paving pattern extends up to meet it. From other angles, this view is stretched, folded and mirrored, creating other, less faithful views.

Goals

FreelandBuck is interested in understanding the site as a place that produces different kinds of narratives. The office looked at significant buildings in and around Palo Alto, and observed the occupation of the space by people, and by light, at different points throughout the day. The resulting pavilion engages the idea that there is not one single view, or narrative, that surrounds our experience of public spaces.