EcoTarium Pond Pavilion

Worcester, Massachusetts

Michael Singer was commissioned to lead a master planning process for the expansion and re-configuration of the New England Science Center now known as the EcoTarium. The mission of the EcoTarium is providing the public with an understanding of the role of ecology and natural systems in our lives. For the Center’s lower pond, Singer invited architect Daniel Johnson to join him in the design of a pavilion which also functions as a small bridge across the pond outlet stream. The pavilion provides a scenic stopping point along the woodland trail, and its site is interpreted by the EcoTarium as a place for visitors to contemplate the many types of human constructions that provide close contact with natural environments. The open structure of the pavilion frames views onto the pond and into the woodlands. A semi-circular teak and steel bench is large enough for a school group to gather for special programs. Vines have been planted to climb the columns and trellis, and birds roost in the eaves.

Artist/Designer: Michael Singer
Singer Studio Design Team: Daniel Johnson, Peter Vandertuin
Singer Studio Builders: Craig Maldonado, Matt Hughes
EcoTarium Director of Programs and Exhibitions: Dolores Root
Photography: David Stansbury