Emery/Weiner School Pavilion |
An outdoor pavilion on the campus of Emery/Weiner School in Houston serves both symbolic and physical purpose. Sited at the crossroads between the middle and high school campuses, the pavilion is inspired by the sukkah, a temporary structure that is used in the Jewish Festival of Sukkot. Jewish tradition holds that a sukkah must have at least 2 1/2 sides and be open to the sky. The pavilion is used by the school for the sukkah ritual but also serves the important everyday purpose as a place for students to come together for learning, eating, school performances or casual interactions.
The materials are tied to the architecture of the school; a limestone base forms informal seating and aluminum forms the pergola-like armature. Kyle designed the pavilion based on classic Greek amphitheaters, adding a berm to visually ground the structure on the otherwise flat landscape. Creating this topography also amplifies the pavilion’s monumental nature as a central focus, both symbolically and physically, for the campus.