the cafe

Site: Lot 6, Riverbend Park Cambridge, MA

Focusing on the subject of the spatial experience and the temporality of the activities, I proposed a cafe on Lot 6 at the Riverbend Park. This lot is adjacent to the John W. Weeks Footbridge that connects the main campus of Harvard to the Allston Campus.

As someone who frequently uses the footbridge, I realized there is no public place providing food or covered gathering space within a 6 minute walk, 0.2 mile radius, on the Cambridge side and even less so on the Allston side. Thus, my design seeks to provide a public space accessible year round that also pays homage to the site location wise and activity wise especially focusing on the biggest annual event on the Riverbend Park: the Head of the Charles regatta.

I was especially drawn to the curvature on the Weeks Bridge through the motif of three arcs. Reflecting on what curvatures appear at the Head of the Charles, I was inspired by the temporary white tents that are set up across the Riverbend park. To capture the ephemeral nature of these tents in a sustained state, I adopted the hyperbolic geometry of the tensile structures as well as the motif of the three arcs to ultimately lead the form of the cafe.