General John Nixon Elementary School has, quite literally, been a bastion of education for 60 years, accented by its castle-like turret and heavy brick construction.
This was, of course, before the virus came. Gone are the days where the main hall was full of students struggling to contain their excitement while in their single-file line to lunch, and if one looks through the main hall, past the colorful pillars supporting the turret, and out the opposing doors towards the playground, all one will see is a couple greens columns of the sad, lonely playground wondering why no one wants to play with it anymore, far off in the background.
The auditorium and gym is formed by a triangular shape, almost like that of the bow of a ship, floating above the water, that cantilevers over the columns supporting it, revealing the diagonal beams that actually support most of its weight. Pointing into the sky, this seemingly floating representation of the upwards trajectory of its young, bright students is equally depressing; its optimism now ironic, for the students no longer are able to pursue their musical, artistic, and athletic passions within it. Tragically, this place of learning and happiness will remain dead until May 4th, 2020, or in all likeliness, far longer.
Brian's 212 Understanding Architecture Section 