By Johnny Masiulewicz
mail@floridanewsline.com
St. Johns loves its pavilions. And why shouldn’t we?
The simplest of constructs yet so absolutely geometric, the pavilion is just square and triangle transcribed into the three-dimensional cube and pyramid.
Kin to the pagoda, the gazebo and the summerhouse, the pavilion stands as one of man’s earliest architectural endeavors, a lasting artifact of his evolution from caves to creation.
In NW St. Johns County, the pavilions stand at intersections and gateways. They grace our parks and stand guard at waters’ edge. When the greatest perils come from above the pavilion provides shelter and safety. When the sweetest cross breezes blow, the pavilion offers refreshing passage.
Kin to the belvedere and the casino, the pavilion is four sides and a roof, no? Wait again, there are no actual walls; are those really four sides or just what we find ourselves seeing as such. The pavilion captures a cube of air below a pyramid of air. And a cube has sides, right?
The pavilion owns sole possession of that fine line between just enough shade and not too much shade. The pavilion provides quarter for romantic lovers’ trysts, peaceful moments out of the sun, rain-soaked respites from sudden downpours and stands as a lasting sentinel for the beauty of the neighborhood we call home.
Photos courtesy Johnny Masiulewicz
