El Mercado in San Antonio has been used as a market space for centuries; however, the physical buildings within the block have been built, rebuilt, and rebuilt again. This canopy explores the concept of permanence: How can a building be impermanent and flexible while remaining rooted in its site?
The canopy is an autonomous being in the center of the square, physically removed from adjacent structures. It is permeable to invite people in, and has deep, arched passageways to draw people through, creating spaces that are familiar to the site through a completely new form language.
Enclosures are constructed (and subsequently can be deconstructed) out of ETFE cushions and air-supported structures, allowing for fluid programming. The structure is an extruded pattern of two-dimensional splines, an exploration into one way that a geometry of planar lines can transcend its plane to become a series of organic and engaging spaces.
Fall 2018
The University of Texas at Austin