St.Louis Waterfront

Balmori Associates. Team: Diana Balmori, Kira Appelhans, Ilse Frank, Chris Kittering, Mark Thomann

The spirit of the Mississippi River is tough and gritty. This landscape reflects the scouring power of its waters and celebrates its delicate beauty: the sand that collects into long drifts along the river bottom and marshlands that proliferate in protective eddies. This proposal aims to reinvigorate St.Louis' dilapidated Mississippi River waterfront. I worked on the third iteration of the project where instead of using floating islands to accommodate program we designed a series of terraces that step down to the river's edge. Ramps connect the upper level-Saarinen Park and Arch grounds to the lower riverbank, linking this huge tourist attraction to the new riverfront. Because of the threat of flooding and rigorous Army Corps of Engineering constraints we worked with engineers to design terraces that met Army Corps regualtions. As river levels fluctuate, lower terrace levels are occasionally submerged providing a range of riverside spaces at that are revealed and concealed by the changing temperament of the Mississippi River.

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All content copyright Kira Appelhans.