Today the designs from the five finalists of the The City + The River + The Arch design competition were revealed to the public at the Gateway Arch Visitors Center with the Design Team Leaders set to present their designs on August 26. The winning team will be announced on September 24 with the design to be implemented for the 50th Anniversary of the Gateway Arch in 2015.
The competition represents how multi-discipline teams collaborate to create impressive landscape architecture that in the current economic times gives us all something to ponder and enjoy. The Competition website lists the extensive team members for each team along with the concept design statement along with slide shows with numerous images and the presentation boards for download.
The finalists were entrusted with designing the area surrounding the iconic Gateway Arch in St. Louis including both sides of the Mississippi River. Each design team has approach the design process in their own way and have created differing design solutions:
Behnisch Team seeks to create ‘an active catalyst for urban cohesion and renewal in this most centered American landscape.’
Michael Van Valkenburgh Team ‘proposes a network of finer-grained interventions incorporating natural science, engineering, and design into a holistic philosophy of ecological urbanism.’
PWP Landscape Architecture, Foster + Partners, and Civitas used research & an understanding of history ‘to derive a sophisticated design solution from a thorough understanding of the site, a solution that will respect history while expanding possibilities for the future.’
SOM Team ‘will strive to respect the modern masterpiece and its grounds. We will re-envision the core National Park Service exhibits and examine how to increase the flow of public life, and envision active uses on the East St. Louis side within the Memorial Addition.’
Weiss / Manfredi Team ‘enhance, extend, and transform the identity of the iconic Gateway Arch and the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial.’
[SOURCE: The City + The River + The Arch ]
[IMAGE SOURCE: The City + The River + The Arch]
[IMAGE CREDIT: credited to each Team as noted]
