Client: Jackson Hole Public Art
Location: Jackson, WY, United States
Completion date: 2018
Artwork budget: $100,000
Project Team
Architect
CLB Architects
Public Art Agent
Carrie Geraci
JH Public Art
Industry Resource
Center for the Arts
Industry Resource
Premier Powder Coating
Industry Resource
Two Ocean Builders
Industry Resource
KWC, Inc.
Industry Resource
Nelson Engineering
Industry Resource
KL&A, Inc.
Other
Anvil Motel
Other
Altamira Gallery
Other
First Western Trust
Other
Dembergh Construction
Other
Private Donors
Miscellaneous
Overview
Town Enclosure is a sculptural object located in Jackson Hole, Wyoming on the Center for the Arts lawn. It serves as a backdrop for the various activities this community park supports…but it is much more than a sculpture…Created from a circular composition of timber panels, the pavilion and the space it creates are both transparent and opaque according to one’s position and perspective. The enclosure is only fully experienced via movement around and within the object. An intervention within the Center Park lawn, Town Enclosure is an armature for celebration of creative activity, performance, and discovery.
Goals
The form is derived from notions of placemaking; fence and corral precedents from the mountain west help to inspire the shape and material quality. Fences create boundaries, temporary lines that divide function and/or ownership in an otherwise consistent landscape. The corral fence precedent is overlaid on the pavilion, creating a place within the greater landscape of the Center lawn.
The simple, legible form is visually powerful. It is recognizable, timeless...primal, like the work of Richard Serra, or like the stone enclosure on the West Buttress of the Grand Teton.
Town Enclosure appears, disappears, reappears depending on how it is approached and where one enters. The overall arrangement of the individual timber planes is inspired by the etherial quality of Julian Voss-Andreae’s sculptures. Because the “object” is made from multiple well-proportioned pieces, it takes on a more approachable scale for visitor experience. More than a single monolithic form, the individual planes are able to each engage the sky, both in the profile seen at the top of each panel, and in the shadow play created on the Center Park lawn.
Process
Jackson Hole Public Art (JHPA) proposed the pavilion concept to Center for the Arts in 2017 and was selected as The Center’s 2018 Creative in Residence curator. This project offers community artists and groups more opportunities for free and informal arts experiences while supporting the unique approach of activating The Center Park by building a pavilion that is both a sculpture and also a venue. The artist team was selected through a blind submittal process facilitated by JHPA. The identity of the artists was concealed to the mostly local selection panel until after the finalist had been identified.
The Pavilion was supported by more than 40 builders, fabricators, designers and finishers. CLB Architects created the design and construction drawings, and Premier Powder Coating built and installed the sculpture with support from Two Ocean Builders and JHPA staff. The installation is made out of cross-laminated timber panels, sourced from sustainably managed forests, and supported with a steel base. Many local businesses lent a helping hand.
As a sculpture and a venue, the public is invited to enjoy the artwork, and local nonprofits and artists are encouraged to propose creative uses for The Pavilion.
Additional Information
The material footprint of the structure is limited. Walls are constructed of pre-manufactured, cross-laminated timber panels (CLT) and are comprised of timber from sustainably- managed forests. The foundational elements are steel helical piers and connectors. These re-usable foundation and attachment pieces are steel, planet Earth’s most recycled product - no concrete is associated with the foundation system. The balance of the pavilion consists of a circular gravel field, which conceals any connective elements and defines the limit of disturbance. When Town Enclosure is removed from the park, only a small quantity of sod is required for restoration.