The architectural firm Adjaye Associates has built a series of pavilions in Winter Park to house a library and an event center.

In the small town of Winter Park in Florida, a “micro-village” appeared, as the architects Adjaye Associates called it. Three pavilions made of pigmented concrete have become a new center of attraction.

Photo: Ivane Katamashvili

The buildings were located on the territory of Martin Luther King Jr. Park and replaced the existing community center. The pavilions housed a library, an event center and an outdoor recreation space.

Photo: Chad Baumer

Square and rectangular buildings lean slightly inward, and large vaulted arches on the sides open up a view of the park area. Materials for the construction of pavilions were extracted from local sources, and precast concrete was made just 40 km from the site.

Dror Baldinger FAIA

“The arches, inspired by both the local fauna and the vernacular architecture of the region, define the shape of the pavilions with vaulted roof lines and wide windows, creating a connection between the interior and exterior and letting natural light deep into the buildings,” said architects Adjaye Associates.

The two-storey library houses a computer lab, a hall, a recording studio and spaces for young people. The open layout makes it easy to get from one part of the building to another. But there are also completely isolated rooms lined with wood – they hide archival collections and reading rooms.

Photo: Chad Baumer

The event center includes a rooftop terrace and conference room, a large auditorium surrounded by flexible open spaces, and an amphitheater. Both buildings are decorated with spiral staircases painted in black and contrasting with the red walls of the buildings.

There is also a third pavilion on the territory — Porte Cochère, which means “Entrance Arch” in French. It is located next to the event center and the library and has the same palette of materials. However, there is no glazing between the vaulted arches, so it functions as an open canopy under which visitors can relax.

Photo: Chad Baumer