Design teams tasked with re-imagining the
St. Petersburg Pier are split on whether to replace or renovate the pier and its iconic inverted, five-story pyramid built in the 1970s.
Of 16 teams submitting proposals by the city's Sept. 5 deadline, eight favor renovation, seven fall into the replacement column and one from New York-based
W Architecture and Landscape Architecture is "undetermined."
While many local talents are represented, the chance at a high profile project also caught the attention of architects and designers in New York, Orlando, Chicago, Atlanta and London. Some teams are partnerships pulled together specifically to compete for this project.
This is the second round of requested proposals following the rejection last year of the futuristic design by
Michael Maltzan Architecture dubbed "The Lens." Maltzan's plan won in competition against an initial list of 23 design teams nearly two years ago but met with disapproval from many residents.
"This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for our community," says Architect Yann Weymouth, design director of the newly created St. Pete Design Group. "Our generation will not get another shot at this."
The competition also includes Tampa Bay-based teams of
Alfonso Architects, ahha! Design Group and
Cooper Johnson Smith Architects & Town Planners, all with replacement proposals. Fisher and Associates in Clearwater;
Perkins+Will in Atlanta; and
Ross Barney Architects in Chicago are among those proposing renovations.
The team at St. Pete Design Group, which announced their partnership two days before the proposal deadline, is pursuing a renovation of the pier. At this point the vision is ideas and sketches, says Weymouth.
High profile projects, and even pyramids, are nothing new for Weymouth. His talents are visible in the designs of the Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg and the East Wing of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C.
The glass Grand Pyramid of the Louvre Museum in Paris is another iconic design he worked on with famed architect and mentor, I.M. Pei.
After more than a dozen years affiliated with HOK, Weymouth is stepping into a new role as design director of the St. Pete Design Group. HOK was one of the semi-finalists in the first call for pier re-designs.
This time, Weymouth is partnered with
Wannemacher Jensen Architects, which will work on the uplands and the approach to the pier.
Harvard Jolly Architecture, which designed the inverted pyramid in the 1970s, will design the centerpiece.
"We're cognizant of what went before but the controversy has had a good effect," says Weymouth. "The community knows better what it wants and what it doesn't want. Seeing it renovated and unique and special and a St. Petersburg landmark -- a beacon -- that would be very good for the city."
Details on the 16 proposals will be forthcoming in the next months.
A selection committee appointed by Mayor Rick Kriseman will choose up to eight design teams by Oct. 3. Those teams then will have about 10 weeks to add specifics to their visions and submit a budget in mid-December. Each team will receive a stipend of $30,000.
Projects must not cost more than $46 million, including $33 million for construction. City officials will eliminate designs that don't meet specified qualifications.
The public will get to weigh in with their opinions, probably in January. City officials are considering options, such as an online survey or opinion poll, to gather comments.
Afterward, the selection committee will rank the plans and submit a list in February to city council. Once a team is approved, design work could begin by mid-2015 with construction in 2016 and completion by late 2017.
Writer:
Kathy Steele
Source: Yann Weymouth, St. Pete Design Group
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