Pavilion at Dr. MLK Jr. Park

Akana provided conceptual design services for the Sky Terrace project at Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Park in northwest Corvallis, Oregon. This project is part of a broader effort to re-envision the park and commemorate Dr. King’s legacy while honoring other luminaries of color. The Sky Terrace was designed to reflect Dr. King’s advocacy for justice and equality and acknowledge the traditional homelands of the Ampinefu Band of Kalapuya.

As a subconsultant to Juncus, a Portland-based landscape architecture firm leading the park’s redesign, Akana was responsible for conceptual design, programming, and community engagement for a shade structure at the park’s highest point. The design intent was to create a space that represents Dr. King’s shared passions with Indigenous communities and integrates cultural context and storytelling. Akana collaborated closely with an Indigenous viewpoint committee and conducted research to ensure the design incorporated Traditional Ecological Knowledge and was rooted in place.

Akana developed three concept alternatives inspired by Indigenous cultures of the Willamette Valley: Stream, referencing fish platforms and water traditions; Plank, drawing from the gable plank house architectural style; and Weave, inspired by basketry and Oak Savanna traditions. After community input, the Stream concept was selected and refined into the preferred design. The final concept prioritized accessibility and included overhead protection from sun and rain, flexible seating, and spaces for interpretive educational displays.