Kraig Sims
The aim of the jester space is to provide a space where performances might be done for both the clown community and a broader outside audience while also offering spaces for teaching. This connection to the outside can be seen through the dialogue between the street and the paved interior spaces. The form of the building is governed by the two asphalt plates that comprised the 2nd and 3rd floors. At the first-floor level, the space is largely unconditioned, allowing for people to access the various food stalls, restrooms, and auditorium. At this level, one is able to see the start of the glass sheathed rodeo ramp that provides a moving spectacle for occupants. On the second floor, a grouping of conditioned and unconditioned spaces is found–bifurcated by the asphalt floor. Moving on to the 3rd floor, the unconditioned space becomes more dominant, making way for a parade of motorized and human-powered floats that cruise atop the building. The action of people and objects on all levels of the building indirectly typifies the space as one of movement. However, this flow through the space is broken or altered at different points within the building to allow for more private or serious spaces.
Rendering of the roof parade space.
Rendering of front-side of building.