8 minute read
Creating the look of the Pier
It is not an exaggeration to say that the St. Pete PierTM is an entirely new model for waterfront cities, an example of urban infrastructure without precedent. Redefining the capabilities and features of a modern pier, the Pier is an extension of St. Pete’s bustling city center, offering a picturesque urban beach area, a vast, design-forward children’s playground, variety of dining spots, marketplace with local vendors, tree laden walkways, an ecotourism center and so much more. From children to seniors, nature lovers to art enthusiasts, fishermen to foodies – St. Pete Pier has something for everyone.
Raul Quintana has been with the City for 25 years, and City Architect for the past 15. He was involved in its entire evolution from the iconic inverted pyramid so many people remember.
“The issue was not to eliminate the inverted pyramid. It had more to do with the service life of the superstructure of the bridge and the platform surrounding the building. Structures in an environment of unlimited sunshine and salt water don’t last long and it was built in the ‘20s,” said Quintana. A structural engineering report commissioned in 2004 and 2005 indicated the deck and bridge needed to be replaced.
“To answer the question, ‘replaced with what?’, we reached out to community groups, not just residents, but educators, the boating community, the disabled, parks and recreation, native plant society, public arts organizations and others. Many groups were engaged to help us pull the project together,” Quintana explained. “We needed the public to be engaged. Nobody knew what it was going to be. We developed a process that got us to the end that incorporated what the public said they wanted. We ended up with an asset we are proud of, that is worthy of a City landmark.”
“Florida is all about outdoor experiences. Our instructions to the design team were about getting people closer to the water’s edge and creating public space with active experiential spaces that people could enjoy from the entrance to the very end,” said Quintana.
One of the most significant challenges, as well as a terrific opportunity, came when additional tax increment financing was made available to expand the project by developing the Pier Approach. This meant the original project which was the five-acre, over water Pier would need to be blended with an additional 21 acres of uplands. Two different design teams were engaged and tasked with combining these two projects into one seamless experience for visitors. The design teams were Rogers Partners, ASD/SKY, Ken Smith Workshop for the Pier and W Architecture and Landscape Architecture and Wannemacher Jensen Architects for the Pier Approach.
Under the guidance of the City of St. Petersburg and former Mayor Rick Kriseman, the designers collaborated with builder SKANSKA and pier management to accomplish the vision for a new and revitalized waterfront experience. The team considered exactly what the St. Pete Pier could be to reflect the city’s history, to preserve the waterfront, and to create the magic of being in, on and above the water.
Diverse spaces include:
• a coastal thicket
• environmental education center
• tilted lawns that vary the views
• six dining options
• a huge fishing deck
• an outdoor market
• playground
• beach
• cycling paths
• courtesy docks for boaters
The award-winning design connects the Pier to the daily life of downtown St. Pete, tying into transportation and recreation systems such as bike paths, jogging trails, parking locations, and public transit systems including a tram that runs the length of the Pier.
A new artificial reef and breakwater gave downtown St. Pete a naturalized beach enhancing the recreational use while providing more suitable environments for marine animals and seagrass habitats.
The Pier has earned numerous awards, most notably, the Urban Land Institute’s 2022 ULI Global Awards for Excellence, a top honor recognizing the best new urban designs.
Judging by all the awards won, the number of people who populate the new Pier daily, and the reviews, the Pier is considered an architectural marvel and a great success. The Pier represents a significant civic investment by the City of St. Petersburg in the city’s bright future.
Today’s Pier comprises 26 acres of activated space downtown. Each day, visitors enjoy countless experiences, from pop-up performances to inspiring public art installations. In addition, the Pier hosts major events throughout the year, including concerts, markets, and more. To see the latest schedule, visit the website at StPetePier.org
The St. Pete Pier™ Earns Design Awards Galore!
As recent as October of 2022, The St. Pete Pier was selected as one of six winners of the Urban Land Institute’s (ULI) 2022 Global Awards for Excellence, a top honor recognizing the best new urban designs in the world. The St. Pete Pier was one of two designs in the U.S. to be awarded. The Pier also had previously earned ULI’s Americas Awards for Excellence uli.org/aae as the only project in the Southeastern U.S. to be awarded from a field of 68 projects and programs in the country. The Awards for Excellence program is the centerpiece of ULI’s efforts to identify and promote best practices in all types of real estate development.
“This is an incredible, meaningful accomplishment for our city and our iconic waterfront. The ULI Global Awards for Excellence win puts the St. Pete Pier on the map as a world class destination for residents and visitors alike. Thank you to the ULI and members of the jury for honoring us with this award,” said St. Petersburg Mayor Kenneth T. Welch.
Among the categories for the ULI awards—Equitable Development, LowCarbon Development, Resilient Development, Small-Scale Development, and Urban Open Space. The St. Pete Pier was recognized in the Urban Open Space category.
Other Awards Earned Since Inception
The City and members from all of the design and construction teams involved in the development of The St. Pete Pier have earned numerous awards since the project began, including:
2022 Dezeen Jurists’ Vote and Dezeen People’s Vote
“Bending Arc” sculpture; Studio Echelman
2022 ULI Global Awards for Excellence
City of St. Petersburg
2022 Creative Loafing Best of the Bay Award
“Best Place to Get the Perfect Instagram Photo”
2022 Tampa Bay Times People’s Choice
Bronze award Best Local Tourist Attraction
2022 The European Centre and The Chicago Athenaeum
The International Architecture Award® for Pier Approach
W Architecture & Landscape Architecture
2022 AIA Florida Awards of Excellence in Sustainability Merit, Wannemacher Jensen Architects. and W Architecture & Landscape Architecture
2022 Architizer A+Awards Popular Choice Winner
Government & Civic Buildings category Rogers Partners
2022 Finalist ULI Americas Awards for Excellence
Urban Land Institute
City of St. Petersburg
2021 AIA Tri-State Merit Design Award, Merit Award for Regional and Urban Design
Tri-State AIA new Jersey, AIA New York State, and AIA Pennsylvania
Rogers Partners
2021 Tampa Bay CREW –Community Impact Award
City of St. Petersburg
2021 AIA Tampa Bay Design Award for the Pier Marketplace
Wannemacher Jensen Architects
ABC ASSOCIATED BUILDERS AND CONTRACTORS
2021 “Excellence In Construction” in the category of Institutional Projects over $20MM from Associated Builders and Contractors Inc (ABC): Florida Gulf Coast Chapter
2021 Landscape/Urban Development Best Project Engineering News Record (ENR)
Southeast’s Best Projects
Submitted by Skanska USA Building Inc.
2021 “Excellence In Construction” in the category of Institutional Projects over $20MM from Associated Builders and Contractors Inc (ABC): Florida Gulf Coast Chapter
2021 American Architecture Award
The Chicago Athenaeum St Petersburg Pier Approach.
W Architecture and Landscape Architecture
2021 Merit Award ASLA NY Chapter St Petersburg Pier Approach. W Architecture and Landscape Architecture
2021 AIA FLORIDA/CARRIBEAN AWARD OF EXELLENCE
ASD|Sky Architects and Rogers Partners
2021 Green Good Design: Green Urban Planning/Landscape Architecture Award
2020 EXCELLENCE ON THE WATERFRONT HONOR AWARD
(The Waterfront Center)
St. Petersburg Approach: W Architecture and Landscape Architecture
2020 AIA TAMPA BAY CHAPTER
H. Dean Rowe, FAIA Award for Design Excellence: ASD/SKY AND Rogers Partners Architects + Urban Designers
2020 Architect’s Newspaper: Best Infrastructure Project of 2020
2020 Building of the Week on WorldArchitects.com
2020 Building and Roofing Awards
(New Metal Roofing Category Winner): Skanska
Metal Construction News; metalconstructionnews.com/articles/ the-2020-metal-construction-newsbuilding-roofingawards
2020 USA TODAY’S 10 BEST READER’S CHOICE
#2 for Best New Attraction; 10best. com/awards/travel/best-newattraction-2020/
2018 AIA FLORIDA
Honor Award for Unbuilt Design The New St. Petersburg Pier | ASD|SKY St. Petersburg Pier Market | Wannemacher Jensen Architects, Inc.
2017 The European Centre and The Chicago Athenaeum, American Architecture Award
2017 The European Centre and The Chicago Athenaeum, Green Good Design Award
2017 World Landscape Architecture Award
2016 International Design Awards, Gold Medal for Urban Design
2016 AIA NY CHAPTER Design Awards Rogers Partners Architects+Urban Designers: St. Pete Pier
W Architecture and Landscape
Architecture: St. Pete Pier Approach
2016 AIA TAMPA BAY CHAPTER Honor Award
ASD|SKY and Rogers Partners for The New St. Pete Pier Design
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