iDEA Raleigh Activate Challenge: Kite Pavilion at Dix Park

COMPETITION BRIEF

iDEA Raleigh invited designers to participate in two challenges to develop innovative ideas that support public space, arts and culture, sustainability, and inclusivity: the Citywide Challenge and the Activate Dix Park Challenge. A newly-acquired, 300+ acre area, Dorothea Dix Park has the potential to be a premier destination park for the City of Raleigh. The Activate Dix Park challenge sought ideas that will get people excited about Dix Park, bring activity and fun to the fields and trails there, and be as uniquely “Raleigh” as the park itself.

DESIGN BRIEF

The Kite Pavilion at Dix Park encourages people of all ages and neighborhoods to come together and enjoy all Dorothea Dix Park has to offer. With a design reminiscent of the box kites families sometimes fly in the park, the Kite Pavilion is a welcoming structure that invites people to enjoy views in all directions – in, out, and up. Openings frame views of the Raleigh skyline and the surrounding landscape, while the pavilion itself acts as an eye-catching marker in the landscape of this urban oasis. Colorful sails of transparent red curtains span the spaces between the spine and bridle of the Pavilion’s structure producing a shimmering diaphanous effect. Opening outward and in all directions, the design instructs function by inviting visitors to wander in and around the pavilion. Around the park, the brightly colored pavilion will appear as a beacon to welcome and attract visitors to the park. At night, solar powered lights can be attached to the frame, creating a glowing red marker for evening events.

Core design team: Juliane Kuminski, Erika Jolleys, John Rash, Matt Brewer, Tyler Robinson, and Albert McDonald

Fabricator: TACTILE

RECOGNITION

The Kite Pavilion was one of three projects selected to be built at Dix Park. Installation June 2018.