form inspired by the elements
Rock & Read Studio is a form resulting from the interpretation of the site 's context - a reading pavilion not in the form of a building, but a cave sunk into the ground of Sheep Meadow. Metamorphic slate, which is the main material of Manhattan and Central Park, is a permanent element of the landscape. Hence the form of the pavilion - a safe haven in the rocks of the Manhattan jungle. Its concepts were based on the symbolism and interaction of the three elements: air, earth and water. These are reflected in the landscape context, form and function of the building. 
Part of the object, like a cave, is located underground
© Izabela Sykta, Dariusz Sykta, Kamil Dąbek
shelter in the urban jungle
Rock & Read Studio is not only a space for reading activities and a "packaging" for books. It's a retreat that invites all Central Park users - visitors, strollers, relaxers, those who have stopped by for a coffee break or launch. Open access to books, magazines and multimedia is another park attraction realized, as it were. The pavilion combines multiple functions: reading room, café, multimedia space. The common denominator of the open outdoor spaces intended for various activities is reading. Access to library resources and multimedia is unmanned. To order an item of interest, users can use open wi-fi and e-info stations. The stations are arranged in the interior of the pavilion, open-air spaces and reading kiosks in the meadow and park. Contact with a librarian is possible in book and multimedia reading rooms.
The space of the pavilion allows for tranquility
© Izabela Sykta, Dariusz Sykta, Kamil Dąbek
The project by Izabela Sykta, Dariusz Sykta and Kamil Dabek is a tribute to the wildness of Manhattan - hidden under the architectural shell of urban development and the landscape composition of Central Park. As the authors state:
The Pavilion is a contemporary interpretation of a public and inviting space for reading, resting and contemplation. A space that reads the spirit of the place, embedded in the extraordinary landscape and cultural context of the New York location. Rock & Read Studio is a projection of the synergistic coexistence of nature and culture, it is a delving into the history of the place and its contemporary reading....
Izabela Sykta - architect, research and teaching fellow at the Institute of Landscape Architecture of the Faculty of Architecture, Krakow University of Technology. She runs the author's design studio IDeeS Architecture and Landscape.
Dariusz Sykta - architect graduate of the Faculty of Architecture at the Cracow University of Technology. Partner of the design office Group 68 Architects.
Kamil Dąbek - designer, graduate of the Faculty of Industrial Forms at the Academy of Fine Arts in Krakow.
See also the project of students from the Warsaw University of Technology, which received an honorable mention in this competition.
compiled by: {tag:AuthorAiB}
illustrations courtesy of Izabella Sykta, Dariusz Sykta and Kamil Dabek
