Salt, upon dissolving in water, becomes invisible. The process of dilution can be read as a synecdoche for the displacement of people from the Ashokan Reservoir in upstate New York. By direct consequence of this history of dispossession, residents are fully reliant on private wells to access drinking water. When salt is used on roads to foster safe mobility during winter months, the invisible substance seeps below the surface to contaminate groundwater. “A Salty Commons” provides space for stewardship and resistance through a salt maintenance facility. During winter, the ground floor is active with salt maintenance practices with a research laboratory. During summer, the ground floor transforms into a rave space and stores salt in the funnels above for the following winter.

CREDITS
Title: A Salty Commons
Author: Holly Baker
Course: Advanced IV Studio, "Liquid Asset: From Land Dispossession to Mutual Care", Columbia GSAPP
Year: 2024