PARKing Day

9/22/2007

Yes... this is a park out in the street:

It was created by Tracey Sokolski, Associate ASLA, of the Center for Rural Design at the University of Minnesota in partnership with Phillips Garden.  Hers is one of about a dozen such 10' x 20' green spaces that were planted in metered parking spots around the Twin Cities last Friday as part of PARK(ing) Day.  I won't give away too much (look for a blurb in the next issue of Architecture Minnesota), but at the end of a few (perhaps curmudgeonly) weeks of very little good stuff, I now have a few favorite things...

Like this "state park" by Damon Farber Associates, complete with tent, camp chairs, bear, and the smell of burning cedar:

And this one by Landform Engineering, which represents (abstractly) the two "biomes" in which the firms' offices sit -- Minneapolis and Phoenix (Landform staff were actually working at the bistro table throughout the day):

And this one by Close Landscape Architecture, which replaces one type of car with another:

There were more, by the Trust for Public Land (who spurred the event here in the Cities), St. Paul Parks and Recreation (who I hear PARKed in the mayor's spot for the afternoon) and a cross-disciplinary group of AIA Minnesota / Urban Land Institute / MASLA.  It was just plain fun to see these pop up and to hang out for a few hours.  But, as I said earlier, you'll have to grab the November/December issue of Architecture MN for more from me on how they came together -- and why.

Feel the Power

6/27/2007

The other day I went to Water Power Park, the newly accessible bit of land teetering on the edge of Saint Anthony Falls in downtown Minneapolis.  To be honest, I hadn't read much about the new facility so it wasn't exactly "much anticipated" or "long awaited" in my book.  I have later learned that the public acre and a half is a condition of the re-licensing of Xcel Energy's St. Anthony Hydro Plant, and that it will be managed and maintained by the Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board (but still owned by Xcel).  There is some good additional information here.

I also see, from a thankfully prominent logo on a park rendering, that the designer is Minneapolis-based Barr Engineering -- a fact left out of most of the news coverage (Strib, Daily Planet, The Bridge, Downtown Journal) and the park's own website. 

Like many of the reporters who wrote strangely similar paeans to the new falls access point, I was joined by quite a few enthralled visitors and quite a few Canada geese.  The park is still a bit rough, consisting mainly of concrete and aggregate pathways, interpretive signage (by Hess Roise), and, yes, great views of the falls.  Here's a shot from one of two viewing platforms, this one literally on top of the horseshoe dam.

(If you visit, you'll also learn that the historic concrete arch 3rd Avenue Bridge isn't really a concrete arch bridge.... Hmmm....)

Much of the press coverage talks about the vision of locals picnicking out here, surrounded by the mighty Mississippi, mere feet from the only natural (or once natural) waterfall on the Old Man.  Right now, that would be a dusty proposition, though I hope things turn out as green as the rendering (or as Gold Medal Park, Water Power's fraternal twin across the river -- amazing what twice the money can do).  Today, it is definitely worth a visit.  It is really cool (misty cool and aesthetically cool) to be that close to the plunge.  But skip the tunafish and potato salad on the lawn, and head over to St. Anthony Main for lunch.