Project Detail's
Circle of stone
ABOUT THE PROJECT
Before the dam, the Washoe people built a circle of stones on this land — a place believed to hold spiritual significance, aligned with the stars above. The Circle of Stone project proposes bringing that back — floating on the very water that erased it.
SQUARE FEET
100
DESIGN
A temporary floating installation
ARCHITECTURAL STYLE
STAMPEDE RESERVOIR
LoCATION
Stampede Reservoir, ca
LOCATION
Stampede Reservoir is tucked into the Sierra Nevada outside of Truckee, California. When the reservoir was filled, it swallowed a Washoe stone circle that had been there long before.
THE INFLUENCE
The Washoe people have a folk tale about sisters who married stars. That story is tied to the Perseus constellation, which is visible from the reservoir on clear nights. Mirfak, the brightest star in Perseus, it became the starting point for the design. Its radial pattern shaped the platform
THE FORM
The platform needed to sit on the water without committing to a heavy structure. HDPE made sense because it's light, easy to assemble, and just as easy to take back out. Since there was no certainty around long-term site access, the whole thing had to be something you could place there and remove without leaving a mark.
THE MATERIAL
At the center of the platform is a circle of lightweight wood holding a small patch of dirt and grass, with stones arranged the way the originals would have been. The stones are either very light natural rock or synthetic alternatives that read the same way. the weight had to stay low, but the reference to the original site had to stay intact.
