On my first visit to the IMA's 100 Acres: The Virginia B Fairbanks
Art and Nature Park, I found its Visitors' Pavilion set among the trees,
a cool place to take a break from the heat and humidity
of the day. Though surrounded by the woods,
the Pavilion is not far from the Michigan Road
entrance to the Museum grounds.
The structure, known officially as the Ruth Lilly Visitors' Pavilion,
was designed by Marlon Blackwell of Fayetteville, Arkansas,
following practices for environmental sensitivity and conservation,
making it an LEED certified building.
Built in a flood plain, the structure was designed to allow
for the occasional free flow of water around and
beneath its base.
