SPIRIT PAVILION

A compelling concept to reuse and transform Seattle's original 520 floating bridge.

A new Seattle tradition will emerge in the heart of Lake Washington. Over a decade, the 520 floating bridge is systematically dissected and reimagined as a series of site specific island installations—a set of iterative responses that grow to form a new connective tissue emerging from Seattle's eastern borders and penetrating deep into the lake. The comprehensive plan sets out a phased pattern of growth, carefully tying together the construction, planting, and displacement of (15) 300 feet long pontoons. These are removed year on year from the 520 bridge, harnessing the power of nature, time and architecture. Each year a designer is chosen to curate a pavilion with an open brief which allows a variety of programmatic responses to the unusual, multi-faceted site. The only constraints are to be the inclusion of natural landscape and the ability to connect to previous and future pontoons.

Within the first year several pontoons are removed, creating a disconnect from east to west. A linear park is planted, growing from the eastern side of Seattle, accessed on foot or bicycle from the junction of the old bridge and the new. A kayak and bike rental is nestled within the underbelly of the old 520 bridge, public infrastructure repurposed as spiritual space allowing the journey to be experienced by land or water. Repurposed space below the disconnected westernmost section of bridge is used as the staging area for constructing the annual Spirit Pavilion. Once built, the pavilion is moved to the center of the lake, to be accessed only by water. After one year in situ, the pavilion is towed to the edge of the park to begin the growth of the archipelago. Each subsequent year, a new pontoon is chosen and planted ahead of its construction. The cycle of growth and movement continues with each new pavilion spending a year floating in isolation before returning to dock alongside the park.