Schneider Eliassaint

The plot covering the program is a strip of land between the site and the Schuylkill River. The topography resembles a hump through which runs a “natural” path. I consider it a “green bridge” because there is grass growing on its surface. There are circulation paths, which surround the bridge. Along the eastern side is the entrance, which allows for a view of the site. The bridge, which is slightly wedged into the landscape, spans over two levels of program. The upper houses the café, visitor’s center, and administration, and on the lower level, the kayak rentals, and bicycle storage, are located on the lower level. The western side of the bride provides for a view of the Schuylkill, and also contains an upper level patio seating area,

The Schuylkill is a place of recreation and relaxation, and the biggest attraction for this project is the Greenspace, which runs over the bridge, and creates an outdoor seating area, that almost mimics the landscape. Supported by a space frame made of steel, the large outdoor space allows for uncovered seating for movies, and concerts, provides covered seating for below it, while at the same time elegantly cantilevering over the bridge at its peak. Intersecting the plane of the Greenspace is the stationary screen, which tapers through the space and connects to the green room under it. This programmatic element also connects the Greenspace to the ground completing the transition from being higher than the bridge, to being below it.