Architect

Johnsen Schmaling Architects, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Owner

Joe and Cindy Rewolinski, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Contractor

Kotze Construction, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Project Description

This project exemplifies Milwaukee’s new-found urban vitality. What was once a black top roof above a loft in a renovated 1920s warehouse is now an open air pavilion defined by a curtain of multicolored transparent and translucent plastic panels.

Supported by a prefabricated steel trellis, the panels can be arranged to provide various levels of privacy, offer shelter and act as a picture frame and color filter for different views of the city and its skyline. At night, a lighting system transforms the panels into a fantasy of colors and shadows that are visible from the interstate below.

The design solution is a creative response to the owner’s desire for a multi-purpose outdoor living room.