It was playwright and poet Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe that said, “Music is liquid architecture; Architecture is frozen music.” Our design for the San Jose Levitt Pavilion, supported by the Levitt Foundation and The Friends of Levitt San Jose, took its initial inspiration from music and performance. Three suspended structures flow together to form a dramatic central crescendo, then fade away into the surrounding urban forest. Dubbed the "Dragon Pavilion" by local residents due to its serpentine-like glowing form, the pavilion's suspended overlapping panels give the structures a sense of dynamism and buoyancy. In the evening these dramatic sculptural panels, set against a backdrop of tall trees and plantings, will create a light-filled icon for the park, neighborhood and city.
The pavilion fits seamlessly into the new St. James Park network of pathways and lawns. The shade canopies create an inviting place to stroll day and night. Shade canopies wrap around the lawn adjacent to the new park café. One of the driving concepts of the pavilion was to create an open structure that would be light-filled and transparent to allow the citizens to enjoy the shade canopies throughout the day as well. The pavilion would host concerts, films, and various performances throughout the year.
Date: In progress
Location: St. James Park, San Jose, California
Lead Artists: Jason Kelly Johnson & Nataly Gattegno
Artist Team: Brian McKinney, Carlos Sabogal, Natalie Abbott, Chris Leo, Eve Tobey
Assistants: Ji Ahn, Alan Chiang, Ripon DeLeon, Jeff Maeshiro, Emily Saunders
Landscape Architect: CMG
Structural Engineer: ARUP
Historic District Consultant: Page & Turnbull
Press: San Jose St. James Park and Levitt Pavilion Competition Winners Announced, World Landscape Architecture 03/15/2017; How to Remake San Jose St. James Park, Mercury News 10/12/2016; San Jose St. James Park Redesign Finalists Picked, The Mercury News 08/19/2016; San Jose: An Outdoor Music Venue Could Revitalize St. James Park, The Mercury News, 01/14/2016; What a Levitt Pavilion Would Bring to San Jose, San Jose Inside, 08/07/2014
Levitt Pavilion San Jose (Rendering by Futureforms)
