Predominantly a one-story form seemingly carved from the southeast side of the peak, the new center offers the same unobstructed views Katharine Lee Bates beheld as she penned America the Beautiful. Reminiscent of the crags and rock formations found above the tree line, the design uses shade, shadow, and fragmentation to coalesce the building into the peak. Viewed from below, the visitor center is one with the mountain, yet as one arrives at the peak, the modest entry pavilion is a clear destination.