The Pump
We dreamed up a new purpose for the JCPennies at the slowly dying Northwest Arkansas Mall. Located right off of the Razorback Greenway, this was the perfect location for a bike hotel!
If a biker had broken their bike and needed a ride home, they might ask their friend for “a pump” back home. The Pump is letting someone hitch a ride and sit on the handlebars of the bike and ride. This asymmetrical balance inspired the clients to make a place that did all the work for you as you rejuvenated after a long bike ride. The Pump is a Cyclist’s plaza with a hostel to rest, and a Grab and go kitchen to refuel.
We started with found objects and parts and pieces that we assembled to make some sort of object that would eventually guide our design on this project. The object below features some bike spokes, a metal tube, wood, and some window screen mesh. The shape inspired the sculptural staircase.
My favorite part about this plan is the diagonal lines the walls make, this was not just to look interesting in plan or even match a bikes' angles, but the angle allowed there to be some privacy for the patrons staying at the hotel and the customers coming for bike parts or to the restaurant off the trail. The angle was carried throughout the project.
The grab & go restaurant
This staircase was a wayfinding marker for the hotel. The fanlike angular pieces stuck out of the roof of the building, and acted as a wall that blocked public users from the private areas in the hotel. When presented there were cut pieces of the same window screen mesh that was pinned to the paper for a touchable presentation!
