A Window To The City

An architectural component can change urban environment. A great window to the city, typologically bounded in the form an ice rink is proposed in the post-industrial city of Baltimore. This proposal should be seen as part of the city that is undergoing a transition from an industrial to a commercial city.

The ice rink is proposed on one of the vacant industrial sites along the water front, a site of historical importance. Its location in relation to the city offers a strong visual and the necessary physical connection to the city and the surrounding existing recreational spaces.

The panoramic view of the city, a compelling element of the site became the driving force for type, organization and orientation of the building. The view of the city is constructed as an architectural element and the movement in the building as a visual event. The structure of the building is also developed to facilitate this visual progression.

A wall, which complements the visual event, is introduced to act as backdrop for the building against the existing city sky line.

The proposed urban corridor extends the existing fabric of the city. This corridor continues inside the building to culminate in the offering of the city as an architecturally framed panorama, a window to the city.