QVNA Magazine (January 2016)

Revitalizing Headhouse Plaza

BY AMY SHELANSKI

Headhouse Plaza may be on the verge of a renaissance. The South Street Headhouse District (SSHD), responsible for public improvements in the South Street corridor, has commissioned Hunt Engineering and Ambit Architecture to design a new plan for the area on Second Street between Lombard and South Street. The goal is to create a space that is more a park and less a parking lot, while still serving the needs of residents and businesses. The latest concept (there have been a number over the past years) pays tribute to the rich history of the block and incorporates some elements from previous proposals.

PAVE PARADISE, PUT UP A PARKING LOT For over two centuries Headhouse Plaza served as the southern half of the New Market, a farmers’ market providing fresh food and other goods to local residents. Pre-dating the current Shambles, a brick pavilion, built in the 1760s, provided shelter for merchants and shoppers. The City of Philadelphia demolished it, along with other old marketplaces, in 1956 and created surface parking.

Since then Headhouse Plaza has been a busy, but unlovely pedestrian corridor and parking lot, with 42 parking spaces on the center median and an additional 20 parking spots along the outer edge sidewalks. There are various utility boxes at the South Street corner along with an Indego Bicycle Station. A well-enjoyed seasonal fountain was installed in 1976 and was upgraded in 2009.

Renderings of Headhouse Plaza courtesy of Ambit Architecture and the South Street Headhouse District

PAST PROPOSALS AND PLANS Headhouse Plaza, a uniquely wide and busy area is surrounded by densely built commercial and residential properties. It is also a connecting point between South Street and Headhouse Square, and the adjoining neighborhoods of Society Hill and Queen Village. Thus it has been the subject of several ambitious proposals geared to transforming and beautifying the area into a landmark public space.

Plans to redesign the area date back as far as 1996, when a car-free festival plaza was considered. Later, as part of a 2006 conceptual design development plan, the Center City District proposed reducing parking at the Plaza by 50%. Similar to the Sister Cities Park on Logan Square, the concept featured a stand-alone café, a water feature and a plaza outfitted with tables and chairs, trees and shrubbery, new hardscaping and additional lighting. A few years later, a studio of Penn Design students created a very different plan that maintained most of the parking, while widening the walkway down the middle of Second Street. It also added trees, shrubbery and park benches to the area.

Although none of these plans were realized, the fountain was renovated with programmable water jets, colorful lighting and a child-friendly rubberized basin surface. The adjacent area was enhanced with LED overhead lighting, low-maintenance landscaping, improved seating and Belgian block paving. Other recent beautification includes potted plants and unique, artistic decoration of the utility boxes and trash cans.

Renderings of Headhouse Plaza courtesy of Ambit Architecture and the South Street Headhouse District

A FRESH AND FLEXIBLE VISION Last year, SSHD received funding from the City Commerce Department to create a new concept for Headhouse Plaza. Progressing from the past plans, the new design strives to create a beautiful, flexible-use and sustainable space.

Ambit Architecture and Hunt Engineering have come up with a multi-purpose plan, a key feature of which addresses bicycle and pedestrian safety. They propose calming traffic by enlarging and widening curbs, especially around the fountain perimeter, now notoriously close to the street. For more pedestrian safety and a more pleasant ambiance they propose better lighting to illuminate pathways along with overhead fixtures that will make the area brighter at night.

Renderings of Headhouse Plaza courtesy of Ambit Architecture and the South Street Headhouse District

A WIDER, GREENER WALKWAY Ambit and Hunt envision leveling the median that is in the center of the street and replacing it with a wide pathway that connects South Street to The Shambles thus directing foot traffic away from the northern and southern intersections and reestablishing the axis and access of the “New Market” layout. A larger space by the fountain would include seating, additional greenery and landscaping. A smaller island at 2nd and South would improve pedestrian safety and include an attractive wayfinding gateway. Given the popularity and pedestrian usage of the area, the plan seeks to eliminate potential trip hazards by installing safer paving material. Parking spaces will remain about the same as they are now. To provide shade and a pleasing landscape, a trellis for vining plants would be installed next to the fountain. Working with the water department, storm water management options could include rain gardens and porous surface materials.

During the summer and fall, SSHD organized several meetings with different stakeholders and groups. Based on this feedback, the design has continued to develop and evolve. SSHD’s design goal has been to improve the aesthetics and amenities of the space to help foster the community and economic development, while balancing the competing needs from parking, open space, beautification, and functionality.

Jason Birl, partner at Ambit Architecture, said that the overall aesthetic seeks to “mimic or allude to the original Headhouse structure, but obviously in a much more contemporary way.” The trellis would be constructed of steel and would trace the outline of the former pavilion, much like the “ghost house” at the Benjamin Franklin museum. There would be other materials suggestive of The Shambles such as brick and cobblestone pavers and glass lanterns under the canopy of the trellis.

“Our intent is to create a really unique and inviting public space,” said Michael Harris, Executive Director of the South Street Headhouse District. He looks forward to continuing dialogue with all concerned parties - neighborhood groups, residents, business owners, and city agencies in order to achieve the creation of a safe, flexible, vibrant and sustainable neighborhood asset.

Please note: this article is not an endorsement by QVNA of any current plans or proposals