Above and left The
bright red mobile hangs from above and pivots according to the wind. Cast-in-place concrete piers organize the ground and serve as alternatives to wood benches and tables.
The big surprise, however, is fully revealed when one steps under the pavilion. Somewhat visible from outside and suspended from a pivoting rod above, a big Alexander Calder-like red ellipse is the focal point of the space. In fact, by its sheer size, shape, color and the way it moves in response to the wind, the red ellipse becomes the symbolic heart of Cotillion Park and, perhaps, even of the neighborhood where it belongs.
This is a beautiful example of a space that gives people delight ... it’s really art for the people. — Juror Angie Brooks, AIA, Brooks + Scarpa, Los Angeles
The understated Cotillion Park Pavilion clearly responds to the program brief. It is durable, it is contextual, it functions well, and it is as safe as any other. But it does more: it brings delight to an otherwise ordinary landscape. Eurico R. Francisco, AIA, is an architect in Dallas.
9/10 2012
Texas Architect 37