JON STRAS, ARCHITECT

Sub-Cordova

Decordova was established as a public sculpture park and museum in 1950. Since it’s inception it has always been organized as a series of different spaces where the patron can wander from one moment to another and experience the art as they please. Each particular experience helps to frame the interaction that one has with the sculpture. Performance artists frame an experience to provoke thought. Decordova’s sculpture park creates a series of different performances that the patron is both the performer and audience. My intervention to the Decordova Sculpture Park and Museum is a continuation of that idea, however this installation expands the park underground. Where these tunnels begin to intersect, it creates an opportunity to make a completely new experience, unique to being underground, adding to the lush array of experiences already being provided.

The difficulty of creating a tunnel network is that at some points it needs to interact with the surface above it. The tunnel entrances all need to be precisely placed, and to avoid the use of stairs or elevator except to create a vertical connection with the existing building, the planning of where these tunnels provide entrances become a design opportunity. The entrance itself becomes an experience in itself, and a representation of the area it represents. The Museum Entrance, for example, has standard down lights inside a non-descript entrance next to the impressive facade of the existing museum. In contrast, the daycare entrance has a playful aspect with its many turns and a glass installation to create unique experiences.

Each tunnel has its own unique way to bring in natural light, dictated by both the tunnel concept, and the surrounding above terrestrial landscape. The hidden tunnel, for example, has one orthogonal skylight, but because of the polished concrete finish, distracts the patron on the top of the hill, so make the tunnel entrance itself even more secluded. The Hillside Tunnel has a opening on the side of the tunnel, so that light can pour in through the waning hours of the afternoon.   

Where these tunnels begin to meet it creates interesting design opportunities to take the ideology of Decordova an extra step. By creating new experiences, the installation is improving the array of experiences possible on DeCordova. The Oculus Space is directly related to the experience of being underground, only a few people can enter, and only have a view of the sky. The Separation Space, with two entrances, cannot meet, and cannot simply pass through the space, a frustrating experience unlike any other.