The Duplantier Volunteer Pavilion | Michael McKay

The Duplantier Volunteer Pavilion is located in the New Orleans Botanical Garden in City Park. After the devastating storms of 2005 a number Cypress trees in City Park were uprooted. This pavilion was constructed as result of these fallen trees.
The pavilion is conceived of as six identical modules that are aggregated across the site. The modules are either grouped or pulled apart to accommodate existing site conditions….trees, root systems, site restrictions, etc. The ‘sliding’ of each individual module allows for a formal variability within a rigid system and maximizes use of the site without building to its extents.
The aggregation of each cypress slat allowed for maximum efficiency of the material affect. Identical in size and detail, the slats are aggregated to form a rhythmic light screen that would create a patterning of light over the course of the day. The screen ‘wraps’ each structural steel module to create an enclosure for the pavilion that still allows for flows of air and view.The public ‘façade’ of the pavilion incorporates a freestanding unit that houses storage cabinets and a work surface, and employs a translucent polycarbonate wall. This wall is lit from within and changes according to events that take place within the garden.