trahan architects nestles glass-clad aurora event center in upstate new york

set on the eastern shore of cayuga lake, trahan architects unveils its plans for the aurora event center in upstate new york. the project is envisioned as a year-round event space accommodating weddings and events for up to 250 guests. the primary intent of the design is to create a strong connection to the lake and frame its picturesque views.

the aurora event center accommodates up to 250 guests for various occasions 

trahan architects purposefully minimizes the design of the event center by tucking the building into the hillside, while maintaining a seamless integration with the surrounding landscape — this provides protection from inclement weather. as guests pass through the entry portal, the hall slopes down toward the foyer and is washed with natural light by a skylight that follows the length of the space.

trahan architecturs’ project is tucked into the hillside in order to blend in with its surrounding nature

in the main event space, the western glass wall frames views of the lake in both the ceremony and reception halls and ultimately reveals the full horizon of the landscape and the lake beyond. only after going through the entry procession can one realize that the building is cut into the hill. taller on the west side than initially perceived on the east, the rustic board-formed concrete wall retains the earth to carve out space into the hill for the pavilion and terraces.

the view from the ceremony hall

internal courtyards are included as integral components to the building’s design, acting as anchors to the spatial layout. These courtyards bracket the main reception hall, filtering natural daylight within and elevating the presence of landscape for the overall experience.

the glass panelling is a unique characteristic of the project

a detail of the glass panelling at sunset

interior courtyard vignettes

an aerial view of the cayuga lake

the site plan

entrance level plan

ground level plan

building elevations

a preliminary model of the project 

project info:

project: aurora event center
program: event center
floor area: 45,000 gross square feet
location: aurora, new york, usa
status: in progress
architect: trahan architects
project team: trey trahan, faia; leigh breslau, aia; brad mcwhirter, aia; kim nguyen, aia; yichen lee; sarah cancienne; shelby downs; charles weimer; conner bryan
landscape architect: reed hilderbrand
structural/ mep engineer: arup
glass engineer: michael ludvik
food service: cini-little
renderings: the boundary

designboom has received this project from our ‘DIY submissions‘ feature, where we welcome our readers to submit their own work for publication. see more project submissions from our readers here.

edited by: lynn chaya | designboom