Backstage by amcgee

Completed / Public / University of Michigan / Architecture

The small town of Sault Ste. Marie is unique in that it possesses a once groundbreaking triumph of man over nature. The majestic depth and breadth of Lake Superior and passage to the lower Great Lakes are funneled, if only for a moment, into a slender, narrow, and wholly transparent space: the Soo Locks. The passage of massive freighters between the two bodies of water is on display for all to see, its process and inner workings a tourist attraction to this day.

The fleeting triumph of small over large forms the basis for this project, an aquarium, culinary arts institute, and spa combined into one entity. Three disparate programs are stretched out and splayed onto the site, slender threads cast in a way that allows for numerous opportunities for visual and physical interaction.

The long, narrow arrangement pushes back-of-house spaces into the public eye and circulation path. It is in these servant space cut-aways that one is granted clarity into the connection between the three programs, momentary respite from the monumental served space, and a stage upon which the inner workings of the building are put on public display.

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