Stephanie Knechtly

How Can We Make The

EPHEMERAL EPHEMERAL Tangible?

examining the public pool experience.

BY: STEPHANIE KNECHTLY

How Can We Make the Ephemeral Tangible?

This project centers around a public pool sited in an industrial barge floating down the Ohio River. This project explores how we can capture moments that are often overlooked in the universal shared experience of the public pool. Creating something tangible in an ephemeral world can only happen through designing moments of pause that allow people to take notice of their surroundings.

Ephemeral: Transitionary, lasting only briefly I have always been enchanted by the water. The reflections of water are constantly changing and evolving through manipulations of wind, lighting and people interacting with it. How might we harness this ephemeral quality of water and make people take notice of the beauty of the everyday.

Bringing Recreation Back Exploring the ephemeral quality of water in the context of the public pool, a universal shared experience and an important part of daily life that yet is not considerately designed. Siting this public pool in the most accessible and highly underutilized “public pool� we have, the Ohio River. The barge as the site symbolizes the industry that made the Ohio River so uninhabitable in the first place.

According to The Ohio River Valley Water Sanitation Commission: The Ohio River Is the most

polluted river In America since 2001.

01.

POOL

02.

BARGE

03.

RIVER

MARKLAND LOCK

MELDAHL LOCK

60 MILES

35 MILES

BOARD / UNBOARD

CINCINNATI

HORIZONTAL FRAMING

VERTICAL FRAMING

Portals into the murky river.

Views of the pristine pool.

Concession

Seating

Women’s Restroom

Hot Tub

Men’s Restroom

LEVEL 1: BASEMENT

Reflecting Pool

Entry

Main Pool Seating

Reception

Ramp/ Deck

LEVEL 2: ENTRY

Seating

Upper Pool

LEVEL 3: ROOF

SECTION A

08.

DAYBED

07.

06.

LOUNGER

REFLECTING POOL

01.

ENTRY

LEVEL 2: ENTRY

02.

RECEPTION

03.

SEATING

04.

PORTHOLE

05.

MAIN POOL

01. ENTRY LEVEL 2: ENTRY

02. RECEPTION LEVEL 2: ENTRY

03. SEATING LEVEL 2: ENTRY

04. PORTHOLE LEVEL 2: ENTRY

05. MAIN POOL LEVEL 2: ENTRY

06. REFLECTING POOL LEVEL 2: ENTRY

07. LOUNGER LEVEL 2: ENTRY

08. DAYBED LEVEL 2: ENTRY

04.

HOT TUB

LEVEL 1: BASEMENT

01.

CONCESSION

02.

SEATING

03.

PORTHOLE SEATING

01. CONCESSION LEVEL 1: BASEMENT

02. SEATING LEVEL 1: BASEMENT

03. PORTHOLE SEATING LEVEL 1: BASEMENT

04. HOT TUB LEVEL 1: BASEMENT

02.

UPPER POOL

LEVEL 3: ROOF

01.

SEATING

01. SEATING LEVEL 3: ROOF

02. UPPER POOL LEVEL 3: ROOF

How Can We Make The

EPHEMERAL EPHEMERAL Tangible?

examining the public pool experience.

BY: STEPHANIE KNECHTLY