by Nathan Webster, with an introduction by Ann Poore
photos by Jared Christensen
Editor’s Note: It’s been nearly a year since Liberty Park reopened after that nasty 2010 oil spill. And the image of that incredible mess and sea of orange vests has been nearly wiped clean for me by the stunning new makeover recently completed by Big D Construction and ajc Architects at the Tracy Aviary.
The Aviary is located on 8 acres at the southwest corner of Liberty Park in Salt Lake City and currently maintains a collection of approximately 400 birds representing about 135 species.
It all began in 1938 when banker Russell Lord Tracy donated his private bird collection to Salt Lake City and its children. The city took over management in 1982 and in 1990 the facility was accredited by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association, a standing it would later lose as the Aviary fell into disrepair. In 2008 the residents of Salt Lake County approved a $19.6 million bond for improvements. Along with funds generated by Friends of Tracy Aviary, which took over management in 1993, a master plan was developed to improve infrastructure, landscaping, exhibits and facilities and accreditation was restored in 2009.
The plan included constructing a new entry, visitor center, office and multipurpose space. Six contractor/architect teams submitted proposals in 2010 and, following public input, the team headed by Big D Construction with ajc Architects was selected. After collaboration with Aviary staff, board members and resident Landscape Architect Peter Beeton (with Atlas Architects) the new Visitors Center opened in mid-December.The building is basically glass covered by a metal skin with cutouts inspired by trees and leaves.|0| It is a wonderful addition to the park and gives the Aviary, the largest of only two in the country, the stature it deserves. The Aviary itself is a revelation, with its Owl Forest, Amazon Adventure and other recently added attractions. Just taking a stroll along the new Boardwalk |1| and pausing to watch the pelicans and ducks in their element is worth the price of admission, but go online and plan your visit. If you time it right, you can toss a fish to a pelican.
Nathan Webster,|2| project architect at ajc Architects, agreed to share some insight on the new building for readers of 15 Bytes.
Nathan Webster on the Tracy Aviary
The Visitors Center’s plan |3| is a gentle ‘Z’ form, weaving building and visitor circulation around art, trees and the Pelican Pond. Two L shaped building wings form this Z, and embrace an Entry Plaza on the north side of the building and an Orientation Plaza to the south. At ground level the west wing of the building encompasses the admissions and gift shop, |4| while the east holds multipurpose space to be used for bird shows, orientation, education and other events. The two wings become one via an exterior entry court and second level bridge that connect office and support spaces above.
The building is visible both from Liberty Park’s central walkway to the west and from 500 East, although the view varies depending on the seasonal state of tree foliage. From the northwest, the building entry experience is extended via a fence that parallels the north edge of the Pelican Pond. The new fence’s transparency barely separates the public sidewalk outside the Aviary from the boardwalk, trees and wildlife inside. This opening significantly improves awareness of the Aviary that had formerly been denied by an overgrowth of shrubs and weed trees and the previous fence itself. The welcome is further enhanced by signage and art installations by Peter Beeton: a steel sculpture with wings that may be moved easily by children, bird footprints in the sidewalk and a collection of bird-in-flight cutouts on the fence draw the visitor toward the entry.|5-6|
The Entry Plaza funnels visitors into the Aviary and provides space for the gathering of visitors and groups. The Aviary entry now opens up and relates directly to the concession, picnic and ride area at the center of Liberty Park. From the plaza, paving and ground treatment guides visitors to the gateway into the Aviary. The building and connecting bridge above frame the view towards the internal Orientation Plaza and the bridge across the stream beyond into the core of the Aviary.
It is here that the first of several design concepts for the project becomes apparent. ajc Architects’ original concept was inspired primarily by the surrounding trees and is paraphrased here:
As one approaches Liberty Park and the Tracy Aviary, whether by foot, bicycle, or automobile, the trees begin to shape this unique space within the city, eventually enveloping the visitor and setting the stage for a memorable experience. The trees manifest the historic origin of Liberty Park, and provide a comfortable habitat for birds, animals and humans alike. The trees offer brief escape from the city beyond their canopy. Transforming with the seasons, the trees offer shade in summer, welcome the sun through their branches in the winter, and blend both sun and shade in spring and autumn.
The building incorporates a patterned metal skin over glass that embodies both the function and aesthetic of trees. Developed in collaboration among ajc Architects, Big D Construction and Noorda Architectural metals, a system of metal panels incorporates an abstract pattern that suggests tree canopy, structure and branches while at the same time evoking an image of movement, of birds in flight or fluttering leaves.
The abstract pattern provided by this metal facade provides a variety of openings to respond to both view and light.|7| In areas where maximum views were imperative, such as the gift shop, the panels are absent. At spaces requiring minimal natural light or security, the panels are more ‘solid.’ In areas where a blend of view and sun-shading for cooling are appropriate, such as the offices, the semi-open panels work in unison with the windows to provide interiors with dappled sunlight and the feeling of being up in the trees.|8|
In places the metal panels are set off of the building structure to present and accentuate the conceptual tree, light and movement phenomena for the public. As visitors move from the Entry Plaza and under the connecting bridge into the “sky court,” several ideas converge. The angled concrete block walls compress the space inwards and narrow the horizon view into the Aviary’s core. At the same time, elements draw the eye and experience upward:|9| the bridge above displays the activity of staff, and makes staff and visitor both viewer and the viewed. Opposite the bridge, the metal skin floats off of the main building structure and casts dynamic shadows on the angled concrete block walls, literally! And beyond, of course, sky, clouds and, perhaps, a passing flock of geese.
The Orientation Plaza opens up to exhibits, to stream, pond and boardwalk, |10| to pathways to the Aviary’s center, to the building’s restrooms, multipurpose space and the observation deck at the southeast end of the building.|11| The highest publicly accessible point in Liberty Park, the observation level, a suggestion of ajc Architects, provides an unforgettable experience of the light and shadow from the patterned metal panels, views of the Aviary, the Park, and the Wasatch Mountains.
The Visitors Center is on track to achieve Gold certification status from the sustainable design certification program LEED. The metal panels contribute in several ways. Over south or west facing windows, the partially open screen shades the building’s glazing and moderates heat gain. Further, the panels are one of several means used to reduce bird death due to impact on the reflective glass. Where there are large expanses of glass that do not have metal panels, a frit pattern has been applied to provide a pattern visible to birds.|12| The pattern itself follows a size and shape recommended for this application, but also is made up of bird silhouettes … bringing it back to the experience for human visitors.|13|
Several other sustainable features are incorporated including:
* Pre-cleansing and retention of roof storm water through the use of retention and detention ponds,
* Using 95 percent Forest Stewardship Council certified woods,
* Using 37 percent less energy than a comparable building,
* Providing 11% of the building’s electrical needs through rooftop photovoltaic panels.
* Diverting nearly 75 percent of construction related waste from landfills for other uses
This project is not the end of the Tracy renovation. The ongoing transformation continues with plans for additional exhibitions, improvements to the already popular bird show and other elements.
UTAH’S ART MAGAZINE SINCE 2001, 15 Bytes is published by Artists of Utah, a 501 (c) 3 non-profit organization headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Categories: Architecture & Design
