A public green space boasting 84 acres’ worth of nature in central Austin, the historic Pease Park is getting an important new extension on its southern side. With a claim to fame as “Austin’s first park,” this popular local hangout can trace its history back to the area’s native civilizations as well as the city’s founding members. Now, local architect Clayton Korte and landscape firm Wallace, Roberts & Todd have put the finishing touches on a masterplan for the park’s latest extension.
Working alongside the Pease Park Conservancy, a local organization working to restore, enhance and maintain the green space in a sustainable manner, both the architect and landscaping company will focus on preserving the park’s important natural and cultural heritage. The project will focus on the south side of the park, a part of the property known as the “recreational heart and cultural soul.”
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The park’s Tudor Cottage will be the first building affected by the renovation. Originally constructed in the 1920s as a restroom, the cottage is also one of the oldest park facility structures in the entire city of Austin. To turn the cottage into a suitable venue space at the center of the site, the interior walls will be removed to open the building into one single room with new, vaulted ceilings.
Much of the style on the exterior will remain the same, with the exception of added windows that will allow more natural light inside. The views extend through a series of terraces and out past the bluff. As an homage to the original design, the architect has chosen to keep the building’s existing wooden roof intact.
To the west, the new Kingsbury Pavilion will encompass two separate buildings that are inspired by the surrounding foliage. Mesh walls and an organic color scheme help the buildings blend into the forested hillside, where a group of seats has also been built in. The entire project is complemented by beautiful landscaping and wall-climbing flowers.
Images via Clayton Korte
Written by Katherine Gallagher
