PORO(CITY)
Situated just south of the Arch Grounds along the Mississippi River, this proposal aims to dissolve the divorced relationship and hard edge between city, river, and people that has developed over time by introducing physically and socially porous recreational opportunities.
Founded on ideas of connectivity and permeability, the City of St. Louis is now instead known for its local divisions and barriers partially caused by the build of up entangling transportation infrastructure and NIMBY (not in my backyard) program allocation along the Mississippi River. This recreational facility exists between infrastructure and building and celebrates the river, using it no longer as a barrier at the local scale of the city and its residents but instead as a physical and social connector. The project welcomes the river into the site to create a safe place for kayaking, while interior program such as swimming, rock climbing, locker rooms, and the café occupy portions of the superstructure above to protect from potential flooding. The existing Mississippi Greenway is extended up and through the building from the Arch Grounds to the pier-like roof and connects to the abandoned upper deck of the MacArthur bridge, ultimately spanning across the adjacent interstate and into adjacent neighborhoods – physically connecting the river, city and people.
Founded on ideas of connectivity and permeability, the City of St. Louis is now instead known for its local divisions and barriers partially caused by the build of up entangling transportation infrastructure and NIMBY (not in my backyard) program allocation along the Mississippi River. This recreational facility exists between infrastructure and building and celebrates the river, using it no longer as a barrier at the local scale of the city and its residents but instead as a physical and social connector. The project welcomes the river into the site to create a safe place for kayaking, while interior program such as swimming, rock climbing, locker rooms, and the café occupy portions of the superstructure above to protect from potential flooding. The existing Mississippi Greenway is extended up and through the building from the Arch Grounds to the pier-like roof and connects to the abandoned upper deck of the MacArthur bridge, ultimately spanning across the adjacent interstate and into adjacent neighborhoods – physically connecting the river, city and people.