Kiosque

 

San Antonio, 2020

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

San Antonio’s Riverwalk is an iconic work that transformed the river into a below grade urban spectacle, replete with shops, restaurants, and public paths - cooled by water, and shaded from the hot Texas sun. Kiosque is a shade canopy that forms a place for gathering on the usually empty streets above the Riverwalk, and acts as a landmark for descent to the river itself.

 
 
 
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Kiosque is formed by a crossing of axes: one gable is oriented to the street, while the other aligns with the path of the river below. A stepped form composed of pre-fabricated aluminum panels recalls more monolithic architectures of the past, be they Spanish Missions, or Meso-American Step Pyramids - but also in its lightness the traditional Texan Dance Hall.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 

From a distance the roof is perceived as solid, but at a closer scale can be seen as an woven arrangement of patterns cut out of sheets of anodized aluminum. This pattern-making continues to the ground, where the street is replaced with patterned concrete paving stones. Shadows from the canopy interact with the ground to create a changing field of light and shadow.

 
 
 
 
 
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While Kiosque is proposed as a specific intervention, it can also be understood as a modular structure that could potentially be deployed in different urban conditions across San Antonio to transform city streets into sites for gathering and community life.

 
 
 
 
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Project Credits

Architect:
Charles Di Piazza, AIA

Design Team:
Charles Di Piazza, Miyelson Vermeulen, James Holliday

Competition:
San Antonio AIA Shade Equity

Date:
2020