SAVANNAH, GEORGIA
THIS PROJECT IS LOCATED ON THE MARSHLAND OF THE SAVANNAH RIVER, NEAR CIVIL WAR ERA FORT PULASKI GEORGIA BETWEEN THE CITY OF SAVANNAH AND NEARBY POPULAR BEACH DESTINATION TYBEE ISLAND. THIS SATELLITE ART GALLERY FOR SCAD (SAVANNAH COLLEGE OF ART AND DESIGN - A MAJOR INSTITUTION WOVEN INTO THE FABRIC OF MODERN SAVANNAH) THAT FUNCTIONS TO TIE CONTEMPORARY LIFE OF THE CITY WITH A COLLECTION OF HISTORIC ELEMENTS ON THE SITE. THE HISTORIC FEATURES OF THE SITE INCLUDE FORT PULASKI, THE COCKSPUR ISLAND LIGHTHOUSE AND THE OLD RAILROAD, WHICH NOW AS A PART OF THE RAILS TO TRAILS PROGRAM IS USED RECREATIONAL AS AN EXTENDED PATHWAY THAT RUNS ALONGSIDE OF THE RIVER. THE GALLERY STRUCTURE IS A LINEAR EXTENSION OF THE RAILS TO TRAILS PATHWAY AND DIRECTS THIS LINEAR TRAJECTORY TOWARD THE LIGHTHOUSE SYMBOLICALLY CONNECTING THESE TWO HISTORIC ELEMENTS WITH A CULMINATING VIEW FOCUSING ON THE LIGHTHOUSE OVER THE WATER. THE GALLERY SLANTS UPWARDS AS INDIVIDUALS MOVE LONGITUDINALLY THROUGH THE STRUCTURE CREATING A GRADUAL REVEAL OF THE LIGHTHOUSE AS THEY REACH THE END OF THE STRUCTURE, THIS SLOPE IS DETERMINED BY THE VERTICAL HEIGHT OF THE LIGHTHOUSE ITSELF. A SHIFT BETWEEN THE TWO MAJOR VOLUMES OF THE BUILDING OCCURS TO PROVIDE A VARIED RETURN EXPERIENCE BACK ALONG THE SAME LINEAR TRAJECTORY, AS WELL AS FUNCTIONAL FLAT GALLERY SPACES.
TO FURTHER HISTORICALLY LINK THE GALLERY TO THE SITE, THE WALL SYSTEM OF THE STRUCTURE ADOPTS CONCEPTS THAT WERE USED IN DEVELOPING THE WINDOW PORTS DESIGNED FOR THE DEFENSE OF FORT PULASKI. A REWORKING OF THIS HISTORICAL SYSTEM TO FUNCTION AS A GALLERY WALL SYSTEM THAT ALLOWS FOR AN ARCHITECTURAL LINK TO THE SITE AND SIMULTANEOUSLY DEFINES THE SPACES INSIDE AND OUTSIDE OF THE SURROUNDING MARSHLAND AND HISTORICAL ELEMENTS SUCH AS THE FORT ITSELF.
