High Point City Lake Park

HIGH POINT, NORTH CAROLINA

High Point City Lake Park has been one of the city’s most beloved attractions for over 90 years. HH Architecture turned the old gymnasium into a brand new community center that both celebrates the park’s rich history and meets current community needs. The Playground of the Piedmont history wall covers the park’s near decade long history and the impact it has had on the community of High Point. 

The story is told through the use of text panels, historic images, quotes from community members, and an interactive monitor display where visitors can watch interviews and videos covering more niche topics. With a larger focus on community impact, visitors are invited to not only learn about the park’s history but to see a bit of themselves in it as well. Using a simple grid structure, the installation is designed to be easily added to as more memories are made and experiences are documented both through text and imagery. Multiple levels of visual hierarchy are achieved through colors, type treatment, and material choice to make it easy for a passerby to quickly get the big picture while also providing a more in depth learning experience for a more dedicated park goer. 

The pool at City Lake Park was, for many years, the largest pool east of the Mississippi and continues today to be the park’s largest attraction. Situated in the hallway leading out to the pool deck, the exhibit speaks to the visual elements of the pool itself by utilizing a mixture of matte Sintra, reflective acrylic, and vinyl ‘pool tiles.’ The exhibit playfully shimmers and undulates up and down on the wall like the waves of a pool on a summer’s day, staying true to its namesake- the Playground of the Piedmont!

In images: Mr and Mrs Gilbert Pierce looking at his quote and Mary Bodenheimer looking at wall copy