Copia: American Center for Wine, Food, and Arts

COPIA: AMERICAN CENTER FOR WINE, FOOD, AND ARTS

LOCATION
Napa, CA

CLIENT
Copia

Completion Date
2002

Architect
Polshek Partnership

TypE
Parks and Gardens
Cultural Institutions

Description
For this now obsolete museum, PWP created a landscape that accommodated an intense public program of restaurants, concerts, exhibits, and lectures addressing the most celebrated aspects of California culture. Sited in an oxbow of the Napa River, the museum was located on the high ground while the gardens and river edges were carefully designed to handle floods. The main entry walk was an 825-foot-long gravel path lined with tall poplars and a 250-foot-long stepped linear reflecting pool on the east side. Stone-edged display gardens were divided into small plots by grass pathways and planted with seasonal Californian fruits, vegetables, and ornamental plants. Parking areas were planted with grapevines and native grasses. The landscape—which included an outdoor amphitheater and several dining terraces—celebrated and educated the ecological heritage of the region.

Collaborators
Architect of Record: Fong & Chan Architects
Civil Engineer: Reichers Spence & Associates
Lighting Design: Auerback & Glasow
Water Feature: Dan Euser Waterarchitecture