Hotel Polaris Breeze Blocks | 2024

Located at the rooftop bar and lounge of Hotel Polaris in Colorado Springs, Colorado, just outside the North Gate of the United States Air Force Academy, this custom breeze block installation was developed as part of the hotel’s larger design by BLUR Workshop.

The hotel references the mid-century modern architectural language of the 1950s and 1960s, echoing the era in which the Academy campus was originally constructed. Within this context, the design reinterprets the tradition of mid-century breeze block screens through contemporary digital design and fabrication methods.

The rooftop bar was conceived as an intimate lounge with low lighting and a speakeasy character. To reinforce this atmosphere, the design required a visually semi-permeable divider between the lounge and an adjacent public corridor. The screen filters natural light from north-facing windows while maintaining privacy and spatial layering between the two spaces.

The block geometry draws inspiration from Polaris Hall at the United States Air Force Academy, designed by Skidmore, Owings, and Merrill. The conical tower of the building became the generative form for the unit. Two intersecting volumes derived from this geometry are subtracted from a solid block mass, creating a sculptural void that subtly references the campus landmark while functioning as a light filtering element.

Because of this complex geometry, the form could not be produced using conventional breeze block fabrication methods. An eight-month research and prototyping process explored materials and casting strategies capable of capturing the geometry while maintaining durability. The final production method used a high-resolution three-dimensional printed master to create durable two-part silicone molds for repeated casting.

The blocks are fabricated from glass fiber reinforced concrete and sealed with a UV-stable concrete sealer for long term durability. A total of 360 identical blocks form three wall installations. Installed using conventional masonry techniques with vertical number four rebar reinforcement, neighboring columns rotate 180 degrees to create a mirrored book-matched pattern that produces shifting depth and shadow across the surface.