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St. Martinville, Louisiana The Gallery itself is raised above the exterior movement of the site, with its exterior walls bending to take in the views of the Bayou Teche and the Evangeline Oak. In addition to being a flowing space in which to view art and history, through providing views of picturesque gardens, the river and the ancient trees, the Exhibition space celebrates the land on which the Acadian Culture has thrived.
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Liesil Alderfer ArredondoGraduate Studio, Professor William BrickenFall 2007
Acadian Cultural InstituteSt. Martinville, Louisiana
The site for this new cultural center is in every way beholden to its bordering of the slow moving Bayou Tech. It being the famous location, known for the Evangeline Oak, the fabled tree that Longfellow placed the heroin Evangeline under, as she grieved the narrow miss of her catching up to her betrothed. In addition to the Bayou Teche and the Evangeline Oak the site includes a historical building, the Old Castillo, which currently serves as a bed and breakfast. Four other ancient and towering Live Oak trees are jewels to the site. I intended this building to integrate the site into the surrounding neighborhood of picturesque Victorian style homes. To this end I established some rules for my design proposal: to connect the site with the Bayou, to protect the existing trees, and to define outdoor spaces that allow for continuous exterior movement to and from all site offerings.
The Institute’s groundwork is a response to a geological reading of the site. I located all service facilities and employee parking on the western border of the site with direct access to Saint Martin Street, facing the least favorable side of the neighboring community. The Library frames the Gallery, and serves as a viewing area for the sites most prominent Oak Tree and the Old Castillo. Below and in the center of the Exhibition space, the Auditorium acts as the gathering place providing grounding to all aspects of the institute. Its ability to become an exterior space ties the building to the surrounding landscape.
The Gallery itself is raised above the exterior movement of the site, with its exterior walls bending to take in the views of the Bayou Teche and the Evangeline Oak. In addition to being a flowing space in which to view art and history, through providing views of picturesque gardens, the river and the ancient trees, the Exhibition space celebrates the land on which the Acadian Culture has thrived.
