ALANROGERCOOK SITE DEVELOPMENT FOR THE BIRTHPLACE OF PRESIDENT GERALD FORD - student design competition - FALL 1977
CONCEPT: this site is developed as a serial vision experience and is effective from both the pedestrian and the vehicular points of view. The Primary parti involves a site zoning so as not to infringe too much on the residential neighborhood surrounding the site on the north and west. A buffering Planting barrier is provided on those two sides while the other sides fornting on the street and facing the city park diagonally opposite are designed to appear more public, and in some ways like and extension of the park. A pedestrian short-cut is developed which brings people onto the site and actually through the memorial structure which involves them in the rhythmic sensory sequence which allegorically is related to the biological rhythms associated with birth. The cavernous womb-like center piece introduces a water feature which leads the visitors up the ramp, past the paternal symbol of the flag, and up to the source (see the annotated serial vision sequence drawings). From this point the visitors may gain orientation by the distant view of the Omaha skyline across the park. The views as developed for viewing from the streets involve the constellating of major site features (like the hostorical marker and pedestrian entry) into alignments climaxing with the U.S. flag.          

LEFT:

This is a zoning diagram emphasizing the public and private issues

 

 

RIGHT:

this is a diagram emphasizing the visual alignments of key features as seen from vehicular paths and the pedestrial "shortcut" .

         
  SERIAL VISION AND RHYTHMIC SENSORY SEQUENCE (the views are indexed by numbers and arrows on the site plan)
Approaching the site from the southwest, the visitor is in the open spatially and acoustically while visually able to see the goal of the monument and the access ramp to the top.
As the visitor enters the site via the vaulted walkway, the experience is transformed into one of a directionally oriented spatial enclosure with an acoustice focus of the rhythmic footsteps climaxing at the stairs and punctuating the entry threshold. Sinch there is the change of level on the stairs, it is virtually guaranteed that the observer's ears will pass through the focus point of the sound reflected by the concrete vault.
Back in the open, the visitor's attention diffuses for orientation as the site arrival is achieved, and then re-focuses on the brick path as anticipation builds for the arrival at the monument interior.
Entry into the monument brings a realization of the rhythmic patterns of: open versus enclosed space; sun versus shade (bright vs. dim & warm vs. cool); and diffuse versus focused sound
A new element is added to the sequence which heightens anticipation, water. Here it serves an acoustical focus, collecting in the waist high basin, draining through, and splashing into the pool beneath the walkway. This is the breaking of the water; an allegory of birth; the separation of the bodies . The water also acts as a directing device as it flows from above by way of the concrete handrail. The transpirative cooling reinforces the thermal rhythm.
Inside the monument's transitional node, the visitor may look out the giant oculus/roundel to see the complementary pool and the public corner of the site with the historical marker and beyond, to the verdant nature backdrop of the park across the street.
Following the source of the water up the ramp, the rhythmic sensory sequence continues. The visitor approaches the flagpole and is reminded of the original entry and experienctial sequence.
At this point the sequence transforms; the vault form is placed on its end, directing the spatial focus upwards to the stars & stripes while also serving to turn the path of the ramp. The underplayed thermal contrast here creates a rhythmic counterpoint or disonance which sets the stage for the arrival at the top of the monument.

Above left is a detail of the vault form which marks the turning point on the ramp path.

 

 

Below left is an enlarged view of the water rail detail which mimics the larger ramp condition.

Note the path drainage detail at the bottom.

 

 

 
Arrival at the top is climaxed by finding the water source, the view, and the advantantaged sense of place. Here the height avails the visitor to see the distant Omaha skyline as well as the whole site and near neighborhood. Thermally the increased breeze venitlation and the fountain create cooling effects.
This is a view of the site looking northwest from the stopping point at the traffic control light. From this strategic sustained view point the historical marker, the monument, and the U.S. flag are all in alignment. The great maw of the monument is, from this view, is an allegorical statement of President Ford's birthplace. The circle inside of the square is geometrically archetypical of the spirit emerging from the four corporeal elements of the material world. The pool of water is symbolic of the purity of the subconscious at the time of birth.

This view shows the vehicular approach towards the site from the south where the pedestrial shortcut vault aligns with the flag beyond.

LONGITUDINAL SECTION

Cut obiquely from the corner looking northeast, this shows the main monument with its pool and water source spout at the top and the spliting of the waters beneath in the interior; the lower ramp leading to the turning point around the pole and banner; and the utility space under the ramp.
This is the layout of the original 3 week competition submission. The drawings were ink on mylar (30" x 40" format). This did not include the annotations which are included above in the web presentation.
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