THE PARACHUTE PAVILION

Coney island through its remarkable self re-invention and perpetual ingenuity, preserved the predominantly flat land area at its sort after seas edge. At bay, developer towers loom at the periphery. At the focus of this great urban space is the parachute tower. The atmosphere is dramatic and theatrical evoking the great Sienna Campo.

Taking clues from this existing condition and opportunity the proposal too wraps a space behind the parachute defining the edge of a square rather than filling up the site.

The building internally wraps upward from the sea. This forms the restaurants themed memorable spaces. The restaurant angles and ramps upward to the bar overlooking the square and out door cinema

From within the boardwalk the cinema seating extends out of the boardwalk on the occasions of film nights. The cinema seating appears similar in type to the structure of the tower engaging the user through resonance with the out of bounds relic.

A stair then continues further on to the roof where a manmade landscape is found.

Strangely in the background appears the Parachute tower strangely appearing disconnected from the earth. From here one can follow the roof back down to under the Parachute where one gets up close to this extraordinary living relic. Then it is possible to descend the western villa Malaparte inspired stairs back to the boardwalk square. 

But over these systems of circulation exists another pathway traversing the insides of the building beneath the boardwalk.

So exists a double helix figure eight system of circulation - all amplifying the sites existing nature as interchange intersection and potential for public interaction

Taking the system under - the ramp cuts down into the boardwalk and descends to the carved out Garden with tidal pool. From here the parachute appears completely different to that seen from the terrace. The location of the building on the perimeter of the site between the square and tower allows it to operate as a filter thereby accentuating its character and making it a relic with continued meaning despite no longer being used as the parachute jump.

From the sculpture garden it is possible to continue on to many other numerous destinations or be drawn into the exhibition housed and lit from the board walk structure above.

The new Parachute Pavilion appears as a taught building skin  tight against a frame held disbelievingly on a series of ziz zag tri columns evoking a parachute at that moment of landing on earth where the wind collides with the ground and then escapes the bellows.. - imagery which is not out of place to Coney Island's illustrious and renegade history