The Eddy
In 2016, I teamed up with friend and fellow architect Tiffany Chen and submitted to the annual Coldscape competition. The competition is hosted by the Center for Outdoor Living Design at Kent State University. Below are the three items we were allowed to submit, plus the text limited to 200 words.
We won 3rd place and a cash prize.
— Minneapolis, MN
— Outdoor Amenity atop a history bridge
— 2016
The Eddy
n. a circular movement of water, counter to a main current, causing a small, stationary whirlpool.
Winter is isolating. It severs links between individuals and communities. Minneapolis is accustomed to this. The Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis serves as a popular link between neighborhoods, and facilitates encounters. However these opportunities are lost during the extreme Minnesota winter, when few people regularly cross the bridge, due to brutal wind chills.
The Eddy acts as respite from winter, not removal. The principal aspect of the design is a series of louvred railing systems. Louvres on the northern face of the bridge close or open, depending on season, to block the bittern winds from the Mississippi below. Thus, they create a calmer, more amenable environment for winter users. The illuminated bridge acts as a beacon in the darkest point of the year. Minimal structural supports modify the rhythm the louvres create, while ‘eddies’ punctuate the length of the bridge. Three minor eddies provide integrated semi-sheltered seating, while the large, main eddy provides a screened space with integrated seating and observation areas.
The eddy establishes the bridge as a winter destination and experience just as much as it is during summer.
Rendering in winter.
Rendering in warmer weather, showing light effects at night.