Pavilion in preserve will also be art

COURTESY PHOTOS A 100-foot long sculpture of a great blue heron will adorn the pavilion at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve. A 100-foot-long architectural interpretation of the great blue heron will be translated into a pavilion at Six Mile Cypress Slough Preserve in Fort Myers. Architect Renzos Avila is designing the project that should be completed in January 2009.

One of the wings of the bird will be the actual structure of the pavilion; the second wing will show the tips of the feathers sculpted in concrete; and the head will be a stand-alone sculpture of 16 feet long.

Much of the material used in this project is recycled steel, scraps of granite and

concrete. In addition, a natural type of bamboo is being used for the ceiling with an overlay of concrete, making this pavilion the first functional art in a public place in Lee County.

Mr. Avila describes the project as an example of "regions architecture." The combined efforts of the Lee County Parks and Recreation along with the Friends of the Slough have been a critical source of support for this project to come to fruition, he added.

A close-up view of the blue heron being created by Architect Renzos Avila for the Six Mile Slough in Fort Myers.