Swinney Park Japanese Pavilion Wins 2009 Outstanding Park Facility Award
Feb 09
The Indiana Park and Recreation Association (IPRA) honored the Fort Wayne Parks and Recreation Department at its annual state convention in Bloomington. Director Al Moll accepted the prestigious Outstanding Park Facility award for the new Japanese Pavilion in Swinney Park, designed by Morrison Kattman Menze, Inc. of Fort Wayne. . “The IPRA award is very meaningful to the Department, as it is verification from our peers that the Japanese Pavilion stands out as a unique example of architecture,” said Moll. “Our city cares about the legacy of our parks and this pavilion recreates a beloved structure from the park’s early days.” The pavilion, inspired by Japanese temple design, is an open-air structure that seats 80 people. Materials used for its construction were carefully chosen both to represent the original Japanese architecture and withstand the harsh environmental challenges of the region. The building will be virtually maintenance free and should stand for a very long time. It is supported with cast stone enclosed steel columns. The interior roof support is constructed of rough-cut western red cedar with very durable, authentic Japanese clay tiles atop the exterior. All of this, combined with unique energy-efficient lighting provide for an extraordinary visual experience.
