Eternum

Firm:

Awards Category

Academic Project

Project Summary

This project challenged designers to propose spaces that capture a sheltering immersive experience for visitors of Double Negative. This includes the creation of architecture within a vast, dynamic landscape defined by topographic features and the absence of civilization. As a structure, this project calls for consideration of architectural rudiments and their relevance to context. The project necessitates consideration for sensitivity to Double Negative as the piece, and landscape as the canvas. It must accommodate the constraints of the site while distinguishing a strong concept from a sea of possibilities.

Project Narrative

Eternum is an alluring installation that invites visitors on a journey of fear, discovery, and introspection. Drawing inspiration from the visceral experience of Michael Heizer’s Double Negative, this project aims to reflect the raw emotions and curiosity of engaging with monumental earthworks, while introducing a narrative that bridges the gap between man-made and natural landscapes. Nestled near Double Negative in the Mormon Mesa, Eternum carefully adheres to the site contextually and conceptually. Capturing the essence of Double Negative, Eternum is designed to decompose as time goes on. This intentional aging allows the installation to meld seamlessly with the landscape, transforming over time into a tribute to the mesa—a living artifact that preserves its essence indefinitely. Eternum bridges subterranean and terrestrial realms, creating an immersive experience that evokes isolation, curiosity, and discovery below ground while fostering a profound connection to the mesa and celestial events above. This duality invites visitors to explore the depths of the landscape while engaging with the installation as it harmonizes with its surroundings.

Sustainable Design & Materials

Eternum employs passive cooling strategies through material choices and form exploration. The use of concrete provides thermal mass while leveraging its density to evoke the feeling of curiosity and introspection of monumental earthworks. At the eastern entrance, an opening functions as a wind tunnel, capturing cool breezes and directing them through the structure. Meanwhile, warm air rises and escapes through the top opening, naturally creating thermal comfort despite the drastic temperature changes of the Mormon Mesa.

Project Stats

Square Feet

13700

Green Building Designation(s)

Date of Completion

March 2024

Project Location

Carp Elgin Rd, Nevada, USA