2021 AIA National – AIA Western Massachusetts – Pella Windows Architecture Contest Winner

The Gemini Complex is a proposed museum, fountain, and public park located on Mt. Pollux in Amherst, Massachusetts. Mt. Pollux was named after two tall oak trees that once stood atop the center of the hill, invoking the Gemini twins of Roman mythology, Castor and Pollux. The Castor Fountain, cut into the earth, represents the half-mortal twin and the tree that was removed from the site in 2009 after being struck by lightning. The museum, springing out of the ground, represents both Pollux, the fully divine of the twins, and the surviving tree. Visitors can climb a central spiral staircase in the middle of the museum to an observation deck. A small display area, a bathroom, office, and janitor's closet encircle the staircase, sculpture, and observation desk.

The plan of the complex is based on the Gemini constellation, with the museum and fountain laid where the stars Castor and Pollux appear in the sky. The connecting hands and bodies serve as the footpaths, and the circles in the path represent other stars that make up the Gemini constellation. In 2021, this project was a co-winner of a juried architectural contest, fetching a $1,000 prize from AIA National, AIA Western Mass, and Pella Windows.