The Pier Park by Rogers Partners Architects+Urban Designers, ASD, Ken Smith has been selected by The Pier Selection Committee for the new St. Petersburg Pier. The selection and rankings of the finalists were completed last Thursday, 23 April. This ranking was based on several state mandated criteria, including: the design, public input, relevant experience, background and qualifications of the design teams and the technical review of the concepts.
After public comments were provided, the committee discussed the concepts, the input they had received, and deliberated on the ranking. The final ranking of the Design Concepts by the Selection Committee is as follows:
- The Pier Park by Rogers Partners Architects+Urban Designers, ASD, Ken Smith
- Destination St. Pete Pier by St. Pete Design Group
- ALMA by Alfonso Architects, inc.
City staff will now present these rankings to City Council for approval at a meeting in the near future. If approved by Council, city staff will begin negotiations with the first-ranked design team.
From the concept statement from the Pier Park entry
The ASD/Rogers Partners/KSLA design honors St. Petersburg Pier’s robust, eclectic history while transforming it into a 21st century public place. It is a hub for activity; not only at the pier head, but all along its length. Flexible programs engage tourists and community alike – from children to seniors, nature lovers to boaters, fishermen to fine diners. The Pier does not take you to a place – the Pier is the place. It is THE PIER PARK.
The ASD/Rogers Partners/Ken Smith design does more than replace the aging icon. It extends the urban and recreational features of St. Petersburg into the bay itself through a multitude of flexible programs and experiences for both tourists and the local community – from children to seniors, nature lovers to boaters, fishermen to fine diners. It is a hub for activity, not only at the pier head, but all along its length, creating a true bay-side city experience. Our design reconnects The Pier to the daily life of the city, tying into the city’s transportation and recreation systems (bike paths, jogging trails, parking location, and public transit systems) as well as the overlay of new transport options like the Looper Trolley and a potential high-speed ferry. The Pier Park is a flexible armature of rich local and destination based programming that can adapt over time as recreation and quality of life grow and change with generations. Rather than a singular and heavily programmed destination at the pier head, our proposal is a platform for a multitude of smaller and more flexible programs and experiences for both tourists and the local community – from children to seniors, nature lovers to boaters, fishermen to fine diners. It is a hub for activity, not only at the pier head, but all along its 1,380-foot length. The Pier does not take you to a place – The Pier is the place. It is THE PIER PARK.
Images | Courtesy of New St.Petersburg Pier | ASD/Rogers Partners/Ken Smith Landscape Architect