SKY LIGHT

Silicon Valley, renowned for its expansive geography and boundless cultural innovation, thrives on its unique ability to challenge conventions. Inspired by this spirit, SKY LIGHT reimagines the architectural icon for the city of San Jose. Rooted in principles of multiplicity, horizontality, and place-making, SKY LIGHT seeks to create a collective environment that fosters urban activity and civic identity, not just for Silicon Valley but for the wider world.

This project posed a fundamental question: Can a building be conceived as a singular, iconic object while simultaneously extending beyond perceptual boundaries? Drawing from Barry Lopez’s description of the Arctic as a landscape that transcends comprehension yet remains knowable, SKY LIGHT embraces this paradox by creating a "valley within the Valley." Immersing oneself in SKY LIGHT is an encounter with sublime vastness, where the sheer scale of the design transforms traditional architectural expectations.

Spanning an impressive 14 acres—nearly four times the size of the adjacent SAP Arena—SKY LIGHT is conceived as a single, vast outdoor room. This space transforms everyday park activities into extraordinary experiences beneath its expansive sky frame. The design integrates a "column forest" and a continuous grid to host a variety of plug-in community activities. At the confluence of rivers, a hovering ring provides an iconic meeting point, with elevated pathways offering panoramic views across the park and beyond.

A wooden lattice unifies the park, elegantly draping between two sets of columns. This lattice employs a stress-ribbon tensile catenary system clad in timber, a carbon-neutral and renewable material. Photovoltaic panels covering the lattice’s top surface generate approximately 1,545,000 kWh annually, capturing daylight energy to illuminate the park at night with a gentle, lantern-like glow. SKY LIGHT’s design merges technological sustainability with poetic spatial experience, creating a landmark that is as functional as it is visionary.