Old Brick Hill is the first paved trail at the Garvan Woodland Gardens. The brick pavers have significant ties to Arkansas history. The Falling Leaves Pavilion celebrates this historic intersection by integrating itself within the richly forested site.

The Falling Leaves Pavilion offers visitors a contemplative gathering space nestled within the forested trails of the Garvan Woodland Gardens. Visitors are encouraged to admire the craftmanship of the structure and the environment in which it sits. The Pavilion also functions as a flexible gathering space for various events with space for 102 seats. Constructed of weathered steel, wood, and brick, the structure feels as though it has emerged naturally from the landscape. Repetitive steel bents mark the intersection between two trails, creating a place of respite for visitors to observe nature. The angled steel members are held in place by tension cables, tying to the brick walls and to the tops of the vertical steel posts. The form produced by this structural play lends itself to that of a tree, enhancing the visual connection between the natural and the man-made.

Despite being new construction, the project is treated as a ruin; something that once existed in a more solid state yet gained richness and retained a sense of wholeness through time and weathering. Conventional steel tubes, bars, and angles are used in an atypical, delicate composition to create a rich and airy structure which reinforces the idea of ruin. In addition to the arrangement of structural elements, the Pavilion’s finishes contribute to this idea. Steel is intentionally rusted, and the inevitable aging of wood is encouraged. Artificial lighting puts the project on display like contemporary treatments of ancient Greek ruins.

Client: Garvan Woodland Garden
Architect: Jennings + Santa-Rita Architects, PLLC
Contractor: Nabholz
Structural Engineer: Tatum Smith Welcher Engineers, Inc.

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