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The Shellmound as a Volume | Past & Present

dddThe mathematics of volume and scale speak across cultures and times. The volumetric representation of the mound’s vast dimensions—400 ft long, 60 ft high, 80 ft wide—becomes an element that negotiates between past and present and requires the physical interaction of passersby. Because of its massiveness, the reenacted shellmound volume imposes a dramatic feature, visible from the highway and from adjacent roads and buildings. The shellmound volume thus anchors the reality of this human-made earthform in a tangible, physical sense, underscoring its prior existence within thecontext of vast contemporary buildings.

o The suggestion of the volume takes the shape of a graceful structure—an arrangement of dramatic arches spaced twenty feet apart that correspond to the mound’s size and profile.

o The volume reads as a structure that directly relates to the scale of the building volumes adjacent to it. It is illuminated to underscore its nighttime presence.

o The partial volume emerges from the ground like a gigantic unfinished basket. Its exterior is defined by slender, braided copper cables that patina into a soft green tone over time.

o The arches taper from their base to their apex, and are designed as hollow bundles that respect the manner in which reeds were historically arranged to construct shelters and watercraft.

o The structure potentially creates a gateway crossing Shellmound Drive and skirting the Temescal Creek.