Exterior rendering of Wood Street Pool beside planted terraces and a public path

Wood Street Pool

Core V Studio, led by Caroline O'Donnell
Fall 2025, Cornell University
Critic: Hanna Tulis
Awarded Addison G. Crowley, B.L.Arch. '38 Prize

Wood Street Skate Park sits at the heart of central Ithaca, serving as a recreational hub for local youth and senior citizens alike. The site is surrounded by commercial zones to the west and single-family residential neighborhoods to the east, with direct adjacency to the Titus Towers senior facility. Currently, the park is bifurcated: youth congregate for skating and basketball on the western side, while seniors remain in the shaded, quieter areas to the east. Wood Street Pool proposes a place of gathering for all user groups, set between active recreation and shaded park space so swimmers, skaters, and residents can meet across levels.

How can the site act as a point of gathering for swimmers, skaters, and residents by bridging natural spaces across levels?