The overlook at Panther Creek State Park provides a platform to view Cherokee Lake and the surrounding mountain ridges characterizing East Tennessee and a vehicle to interpret the site’s cultural, physical and temporal landscape. Designed by curb, the platform’s detailing and construction were undertaken by faculty and students at the University of Tennessee College of Architecture and Design and School of Art.The site is a clearing in the forest along a steep bluff overlooking Cherokee Lake and the Tennessee valley and ridges beyond. Its location in the park links it to established hiking trails and picnic areas. The design approach seeks to preserve the dynamic view encountered on approach by manipulating the section of the platform. The result is a stepped composition that follows the topography and provides three levels of viewing and seating. Accessible earthen and bridging paths lead visitors to the platform and provide interpretive information.
