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Re-inventing the National Park Visitor Center

出版	University of Cincinnati, 2012
URL	http://books.google.com.hk/books?id=1OBGAQAACAAJ&hl=&source=gbs_api

註釋National parks and monuments are incredibly important elements of American culture. Preserved in their natural state, they must also be accessible for the enjoyment of society. Unfortunately accessibility usually implies built form, infrastructure, landscape alterations, and other human changes that considerably change the natural terrain of many parks. Although these human changes are essential for the traditional visitor experience, it is necessary for intelligent design, especially architecture, to integrate into the landscapes and natural elements of the park. Through personal submersion into multiple national parks across the country, visitor center analysis, and research about modernism's effects on the park system, it has become apparent that casual design solutions are not enough to effectively allow nature to overtake people's imprint. Parks that have begun to think about new design processes and ideas include Grand Teton and Yellowstone in Wyoming and Denali in Alaska. Thinking in a direction other than "National Park Rustic" has brought about new forms and unfamiliar volumes, creating a different kind of park experience. The parks have built significant structures on reused sites where former, ineffective buildings once stood and have introduced sustainable strategies to minimize ecological footprints. Considering the history and development of national park architecture, it is interesting to contemplate the individuality of each structure in regards to the character of a particular park. The character of the park must be considered when introducing any man made object into a natural landscape. The latest surge in park design in which park individuality was a major influence occurred in the middle of the century, leaving a lot of possibilities to create a contemporary architecture language relevant to each park. This has created a large gap in the progress of design in national protected areas, creating a contemporary necessity for change, especially in terms of the visitor center. Although they may be the same building type, in this case a visitor center, designs in Colorado's parks will have significantly different considerations and challenges than buildings in Arizona's parks. As park rates continue to increase, it is important that facilities and infrastructure within protected lands are able to cater to the needs of visitors. Innovative park design ensures the continued protection of the most important natural spaces within the country. New buildings have the opportunity to replace dilapidated structures or those designed without considering the environmental implications. Architecture within the parks also provides opportunities for smarter development in areas not directly associated with architecture, including modern education methods, recreational opportunities, and ecological studies.