Perched over the water of Crystal Lake, New York, this slim pavilion serves as a place for yoga classes, meditation, and group therapy. Designed by Marc Thorpe, the structure is anchored to the lakebed by a single concrete pier, which helps gives the illusion of the entire structure floating atop the water.
The clean lines and cantilevered roof make for beautiful reflections on the water, and the pavilion’s interior lighting add to the sense of wonder and magic that the structure provides. Located in the West Catskills, we love the way the structure accentuates the natural beauty of this upstate retreat.
See more on Thorpe’s website. Via DesignBoom:
“THE CRYSTAL LAKE PAVILION IS DESIGNED TO BE USED FOR MEDITATION AND YOGA CLASSES AS WELL AS GROUP THERAPY. THE PAVILION IS A SITE-SPECIFIC WORK, EMBRACING THE SURROUNDING NATURAL ENVIRONMENT THROUGH ITS ALL GLASS SKIN AND STRUCTURAL TRANSPARENCY. ACCESSIBLE ONLY BY BOAT, THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PAVILION IS AN ALL TIMBER FRAME STRUCTURE WITH LIGHT STEEL CONNECTIONS AND A STANDING SEAM STEEL ROOF.
UTILIZING A TRADITIONAL KING POST METHOD OF TIMBER CONSTRUCTION, THE BUILDING IS COMPOSED OF A SERIES OF HEAVY TIMBERS JOINED TOGETHER WITH LAP JOINTS AND PEGGED MORTISE AND TENON JOINTS. THE DOMINANT STRUCTURAL FEATURE OF THE PAVILION IS THE BUILDING’S CENTER POST WHICH CANTILEVERS OFF A SINGLE SOLID CONCRETE PIER SET INTO THE LAKE BED. THE LAKE PAVILION APPEARS TO BE FLOATING OVER THE LAKE SURFACE WHILE REFLECTING ITS TRIANGULATED ROOF PRESENTING AN OPTICAL ILLUSION OF WEIGHTLESSNESS.”
All images © Copyright Marc Thorpe.