A winning vision for the riverfront
By: Michelle LeGault 03/01/2011
he largest design competition in Minneapolis history has finally come to a close. The jury cast their votes for the final time on February 10 and one team has been awarded a commission. The winning team, chosen out of the final four in the Minneapolis Riverfront Design Competition, is TLS/KVA based out of Berkeley, California. The team's lead designers are Tom Leader, Sheila Kennedy and Juan Franco Violich. The next step is a four-month transition phase during which they plan how to accomplish their design "Riverfirst."
Riverfirst will be the blueprint for rejuvenating a 5.5-mile stretch of riverfront that stretches from the Stone Arch Bridge to the northernmost limits of Minneapolis. TLS/KVA has envisioned this blank canvas along the Mississippi as functional park system with a focus on green-economy and mobility. Their design addresses four challenges of a 21st Century park: Water, health, mobility and green economy. These goals will be met while keeping in mind the key concept of "confluence," said Leader, one of the principal designers. Confluence is the concept of things joining together and mingling. It is a working metaphor for how this redesign of the riverfront will reconnect Minneapolis residents to the Mississippi.
TLS/KVA‘s design priorities include: Restoring Farview Park, the city's historic high point, as a focal point of the river; repurposing existing assets, such as old silos and domes; and developing a marketing campaign that will help fund the Riverfirst project. One of the most innovative pieces in the proposal was an i-Phone application for Minneapolis parks that would generate income for the city while simultaneously generating and encouraging tourism in Minnesota by showcasing some of the state's parks to people everywhere.
The winning Riverfirst design, along with the other top three submissions, was showcased at a public event at the Walker Art Center on January 27. Principal designers from each of the final teams presented detailed outlines of their visions for a 21st Century park. Many of them shared common threads such as focuses on accessibility, green economy and re-using existing city structures to keep their carbon footprints light.
For info on the Riverfirst project and the TLS/KVA design team, along with the other teams and their projects, you can go to http://minneapolisriverfrontdesigncompetition.com/teams/winning-team-tlskva.
Summer View from the Bluffs View from Farview Park towards the River
Winter View from the Bluffs