jumping into water characterizes a spiritual experience, or ritual, for the mere entrance into the water clears one's head, perhaps cleansing the mind even more than the physical body. with the submergence under water comes that precious moment of total loss of perspective and feeling of truly floating in boundless space, at one with the world, until at last pushing the water away, one reemerges into reality, albeit a slightly shifted reality with a new perspective of the horizon line and, perhaps, much more.

​

this gymnasium complex seeks to curate this experience of ablution by giving users a space to escape reality for a moment, to clear their heads, and to return to their lives refreshed in mind and body. water acts not only as a place of individual renewal, but also as the form that connects two of the Frederick Douglass apartment buildings, thereby bringing renewal to the physical buildings and reinforcing the presence of the New York City Housing Authority community in the 21st century.