HIGHWAY 14 TOWER
THE COMPETITION THE COMPETITION GUIDELINES ASKED FOR AN ICONIC OBSERVATION TOWER TO ENHANCE VISITOR’S EXPERIENCES, PROMOTE LOCAL AND REGIONAL TOURISM, AND A DESIGN THAT ENABLES MOVEMENT, OBSERVATION AND CONTEMPLATION OF THE SILVER LAKE AND BIG SLOUGH ECOSYSTEM.
THE VASTNESS OF THE SOUTH DAKOTA LANDSCAPE IN THIS DESIGNATED AREA PROVIDED THE DESIGN IMPETUS TO GO BEYOND WHAT THE PROGRAM DISCUSSED AND PRESENT A TOWER THAT PEOPLE FROM THIS STATE, OTHER STATES AND OTHER COUNTRIES WOULD WANT TO SEE. A PROJECT TO PROVIDE A SYMBOL FOR PEOPLE TO EXPERIENCE IT INSIDE AND OUT, AND WANT TO DO IT AGAIN AND AGAIN. THAT IS WHAT TOOK THIS DESIGN, BASED ON THE COMPETITION GUIDELINES, A STEP BEYOND, SINCE A TOWER 12-15 METERS DID NOT APPEAR TO FULFILL THE FULL INTENT OF THE COMPETITION.
THE TOWER DEFINED
THE TOWER DEFINED THIS STRUCTURE, AS DESIGNED FOR THIS COMPETITION, OFFERS A WAY TO REACH A SIGNIFICANT HEIGHT TO TAKE IN BOTH THE IMMEDIATE LANDSCAPE AND THE VAST EXPANSE OF THE MAGNIFICENCE OF THE EXTENDED VISTAS, WHICH PROVIDE MILES OF VIEWING POSSIBILITIES. THE PROJECT SYMBOLIZES A TIMELESS FORM OF TWO ARMS MEETING OVER THE BIG SLOUGH AND SILVER LAKE AND HOLDING A DIM BEACON OF LIGHT AS A SYMBOL OF THE IMPORTANT HISTORY THIS AREA HOLDS. IT IS AN INTERACTIVE STRUCTURE RATHER THAN A STATIC MONUMENT AND IS DESIGNED TO BE USED FROM THE INSIDE AND TRAVERSED THROUGHOUT. THE EXTERIOR SKIN IS METAL WITH FRITTED GLASS THAT GLOWS AS IT ASCENDS. BOTH THE BEACON AND THE STRUCTURAL ARMS WILL HAVE PROGRAMMABLE MULTI-COLORED LIGHTING INTERWOVEN FROM THE BASE TO THE TOP.
SOLAR PANELS ARE INTERSPERSED THROUGHOUT.BETWEEN THE ARMS AND SUSPENDED OVER THE WATER AND LAND AREAS IS AN INTERACTIVE MUSEUM OF THE HISTORY OF DE SMET AS WELL AS THE ROLE SOUTH DAKOTA PLAYED IN AMERICAN HISTORY. THERE IS ENOUGH ROOM FOR A PICTORIAL HISTORY OF THE AREA, EXAMPLE OF TOOLS THAT WERE USED, PICTURES OF EARLY TRAN- SPORTATION, AND A HISTORY OF LIVING SPACES FROM HUTS TO SKYSCRAPERS AND ANY OTHER VISUAL EXAMPLES THAT PEOPLE OF ALL AGES CAN SEE AND UNDERSTAND ABOUT SOUTH DAKOTA.
