DEVELOPMENT TEAM
Developer Gateway Foundation St. Louis, Missouri www.gateway-foundation.org
Owner City of St. Louis St. Louis, Missouri
Landscape Architect Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects Charlottesville, Virginia www.nbwla.com
Jury STATEMENT
With a design that draws
on St. Louis’s chief natural
feature—its rivers—the
2.9-acre Citygarden
has attracted diverse
users, catalyzed nearby
development, and changed
perceptions of downtown.
Situated on two blocks of the underused Gateway Mall, the active sculpture
garden has drawn visitors, residents, and workers back to the heart of St. Louis. Civic WINNER
$*5:("3%&/, St. Louis, Missouri Citygarden, which opened in July 2009 on two of the Gateway Mall’s key blocks, was aimed at creating an active and enticing space that would attract a diverse public, alter perceptions of downtown, and catalyze downtown development.
5IFBDSF IB SFDUJMJOFBSPQFOTQBDFDPNQSJTFTBTDVMQUVSFHBSEFOXJUIJOUFSBDUJWFBSU imaginative and whimsical water features, and dining and picnicking venues. The inviting QBSLIBTTQVSSFESFEFTJHOPGUIF(BUFXBZ.BMM FMFWBUFEUIFTUBUVTPGQVCMJDBSUJO4U-PVJT BOECFFOBCPPOUPMPDBMCVTJOFTTFT4JNQMZQVUCZ4U-PVJTNBZPS'SBODJT4MBZ i$JUZHBSEFO JTUIFNPTUTJHOJàDBOUEFWFMPQNFOUUPUBLFQMBDFJO4U-PVJTTJODFUIFDPNQMFUJPOPGUIF (BUFXBZ"SDIOFBSMZZFBSTBHPu
'PSOFBSMZBDFOUVSZ 4U-PVJTT(BUFXBZ.BMM BNJMF LN SJCCPOPGHSBTTBOEUSFFT UIBUVOGVSMTXFTUGSPNUIF(BUFXBZ"SDI IBTIFMEUIFQPUFOUJBMUPCFBHSBOEDJWJDTQBDF 5IBUQPUFOUJBMIBECFFOMFGUVOGVMàMMFEUIFNBMMIBTMPOHCFFOEFWPJEPGJOUFSFTUBOEQFPQMF BOEIBTCFFOBIJOESBODFUPEPXOUPXOEFWFMPQNFOU%FTQJUFUIFMPOHPEET UIF(BUFXBZ 'PVOEBUJPO BOPOQSPàUEFEJDBUFEUPTVQQPSUJOHFGGPSUTUPBDRVJSF DSFBUF PSJNQSPWFBSUBOE urban design, managed to transcend the issues that had bedeviled the site over the years. The foundation contributed $25 million, not including the cost of the sculptures, to build the city- owned park.
$JUZHBSEFOXBTUBJMPSFEUPUIF4U-PVJTBSFBJUTMBOETDBQJOHESBXTPOUIFBSFBTDIJFGOBUVSBM GFBUVSFJUTSJWFSTBTXFMMBTPOUIFTJUFTDVMUVSBMIJTUPSZ*UTMJNFTUPOFBSDXBMMGFFU N MPOHFWPLFTUIF.JTTJTTJQQJTBOE.JTTPVSJTMJNFTUPOFCMVGGT UIFTFSQFOUJOFTFBUXBMM GFFU N MPOHNJSSPSTUIFDPVSTFPGUIFSJWFSJUTFMG5IFIJMMPOJUTOPSUIXFTUDPSOFS references the Native American burial mounds that once dotted the local landscape, and pathways follow old city alleyways and property lines. The garden—with native trees and grasses—is entirely distinctive to the region it inhabits.
The urban open space has also had a positive effect on the surrounding real estate market and businesses. Although the St. Louis market remains sluggish, local brokers and management companies indicate that the park is considered a strong amenity
AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE | 2011 WINNING PROJECTS CIVIC <68/69 and a contributing factor to high occupancy rates. Local shops and ground-floor retail FTUBCMJTINFOUTIBWFCFOFàUFEGSPNUIFJODSFBTFEGPPUUSBGàD BTJHOUIBU$JUZHBSEFOJT QSPEVDJOHNPSFUIBOiJTMBOEWJTJUTuFDPOPNJDEFWFMPQNFOUQBSMBODFGPSVTFSTXIPWJTJUB venue and then return home—and thus contributing to the vitality of downtown.
5IFVSCBOQBSL EFTJHOFECZ$IBSMPUUFTWJMMF 7JSHJOJBmCBTFE/FMTPO#ZSE8PMU[-BOETDBQF "SDIJUFDUT XBTQMBOOFEXJUITPDJBMFRVJUZJONJOE*UJTPQFOFWFSZEBZ XJUIPVUXBMMTPS GFODFTTVSSPVOEJOHJUPSBOZQSFTDSJCFEQPJOUTPGFOUSBODFPSFYJU5ISPVHIUIFVTFPGSBNQT QBWJOHDPMPSBUJPO BOEUFYUVSFETUPOF UIFQBSLJTBDDFTTJCMFUPUIFBCMFCPEJFEBOEUIPTFXJUI disabilities alike. “It has given St. Louis the kind of place—now uncommon—where people of BMMCBDLHSPVOETDBOJOUFSBDU JUJTBATPDJBMDPOEFOTFS uQSPDMBJNFEUIF New Republic.
$JUZHBSEFOJTQBSUDJUZQBSL QBSUTDVMQUVSFHBSEFO TUBOEJOHBTBOFYBNQMFPGUIFJODSFBTJOH SPMFQVCMJDBSUQMBZTJOUIFSFWJUBMJ[BUJPOBOESFCSBOEJOHPGDJUJFT*OUFSBDUJWFTDVMQUVSFT JOBMMBSFTDBUUFSFEUISPVHIPVUUIFTJUF JODMVEJOHXPSLTCZ'FSOBOE-ÊHFS "SJTUJEF.BJMMPM +JN%JOF BOE#FSOBS7FOFU*UBMTPJODMVEFTBTUBUFPGUIFBSU-&%WJEFPXBMMUIBUEJTQMBZT BSUBOEàMNT BQPPMXJUIBTJYGPPU UXPN XBUFSGBMM BOEBHMBTTQBWJMJPODBGÊ5IFWBSJFE UPQPHSBQIZ XBMLXBZT BOEXBMMTTFQBSBUFUIFQBSLJOUPWBSJPVTiSPPNT uFBDIXJUIJUTPXO distinct feel and purpose.
PROJECT DATA
Web Site www.citygardenstl.org
Site Area 2.9 ac (1.2 ha)
Land Uses open space, restaurant
Start/Completion Dates January 2007–July 2009 PHOTOGRAPHY BY STEVE HALL (68) 5IFTVDDFTTPG$JUZHBSEFOIBTMFEUPBOFGGPSUUPEFWFMPQUIFSFTUPGUIF(BUFXBZ.BMM" HEDRICH BLESSING; STEVE HALL (70), HEDRICH BLESSING; STEVE HALL (70), HEDRICH BLESSING; OBUJPOBMEFTJHODPNQFUJUJPOXBTIFMEUPSFEFTJHOUIFHSPVOETPGUIF(BUFXBZ"SDIBOEUIF DEBBIE FRANKE (71) St. Louis riverfront, linking them better with downtown and across the river, an initiative LOPXOBT$JUZ"SDI3JWFS8BMUFS.FUDBMGF CPBSENFNCFSPGUIF$JUZ"SDI3JWFS 'PVOEBUJPO CFMJFWFTUIBUUIFTVDDFTTPG$JUZHBSEFOIBTNBEFUIFMBSHFSSFEFWFMPQNFOUFGGPSU possible. “The political leadership and the community at large became believers in design-led development to address all the impacts great public spaces can have—civic, social, aesthetic, FOWJSPONFOUBM BOEFDPOPNJDu
AWARDS FOR EXCELLENCE | 2011 WINNING PROJECTS CIVIC <70/71