Weiss/Manfredi

Waterfront parks, especially those that emerged during the industrial age, frequently face separation from urban cores due to transport infrastructures and the looming risk of flooding. Bridging this division not only enhances accessibility and magnifies the utility of urban parks but also promotes the extension of their ecological benefits.

 

One iconic transformation is Seattle's Olympic Sculpture Park. Previously a contaminated industrial zone isolated by railway lines and major roads, it was reimagined into a 'Z'-shaped verdant platform. This innovative design ensures an uninterrupted passage from the Seattle Art Museum straight to the waterfront.

 

Similarly, the more contemporary Hunters Point South Waterfront Park rejuvenates an erstwhile industrial space into an ecological artery, marrying the principles of landscape, architecture, and infrastructure. This transformation emphasizes sustainability. Concrete barriers give way to flexible infrastructure, bolstering the area's defense against potential flooding.

 

These exemplar projects spotlight nature's inherent adaptability. By forging new pedestrian connections and embracing ecological restoration, they underscore a holistic design approach that seamlessly integrates infrastructure, landscape, and architectural elements.

 

- Weiss/Manfredi Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism is at the forefront of architectural design practices that are redefining the relationships between landscape, architecture, infrastructure, and art. The firm has spearheaded various design efforts that require progressive ecological and infrastructural frameworks, placing environmental stewardship and sustainability at the core of Weiss/Manfredi's work. They received the 2020 Thomas Jefferson Foundation Medal in Architecture and the 2018 Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Institution's National Design Award, as well as the New York AIA Gold Medal and the Academy Award in Architecture from the American Academy of Arts and Letters.

 

Olympic Sculpture Park

Artist: WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism

Client: Seattle Art Museum

Photo: ⓒIwan Baan, courtesy of WEISS/MANFREDI

Video: ⓒMichael Selditch and Robert Tate, courtesy of WEISS/MANFREDI

 

Hunter's Point South Waterfront Park

Artist: SWA/Balsley and WEISS/MANFREDI Architecture/Landscape/Urbanism

Client: New York City Economic Development Corporation

Photo: ⓒLloyd/SWA, courtesy of SWA/Balsley and WEISS/MANFREDI

Video: ⓒSpirit of Space, courtesy of WEISS/MANFREDI