The community identified a key requirement for a central pavilion to provide oversight and gathering space for the entire complex. Centrally located between the tracks and the broader park, the pavilion occupies a steep slope, connecting the recreational areas for families and visitors attending events at Leitner and Baker Field, or using the nearby dog park and seasonal ice rink.
Morgan Law
Taylor Hawley
Downstream Construction LLC
Taitem
Shape Architecture Studio
325 sf
Leadville, CO
In 2007, a local Leadville non-profit named Cloud City Wheels built a much-needed public bike pump track. The popularity of the park pushed the community to advocate for a new skate park in 2014. In 2022, the existing pump track was expanded for kids of all ages to learn and hone skills on bikes, scooters, rollerblades, and skates. A steep slope splits the parks visually and experientially, highlighting the need for a shaded pavilion as a central hub.
To help with this, Shape Architecture Studio provided pro bono design services to develop a pavilion that addresses site connectivity and community needs. The design provides a multi-use hub, serving simultaneously as a viewing platform, a necessary shade and rest area, a parent waiting space, and a vital connector across the site’s challenging elevation change.
The pavilion’s architectural vocabulary is intentionally evocative, drawing directly from Lake County’s rich mining vernacular. By recalling the form of historic headframes, the structure honors the local industrial history while establishing a central beacon for the surrounding recreational areas.
