Category: Play
Award
Two triangular structures along the west bank of the Des Moines River in Iowa’s capital frame the city’s Court Avenue. Local firm Substance Architecture’s solution for the Principal Riverwalk Pavilion and Pump Station had to address U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ regulations while accommodating the broader design goals of the city’s Riverwalk master plan, which calls for new promenades and recreation trails. To the north, the 1,950-square-foot pavilion is shrouded in a black zinc skin that unfolds to provide access and views for its public amenities, which include a café. To the south, the opaque volume of the 3,485-square-foot Pump Station conceals pumps, valves, and generators for use during flood events. Together, these two modest buildings define a public plaza—augmented by site-specific art works by Jun Kaneko—that celebrates a sense of place along the river.
See all of the winners of ARCHITECT's 2014 Annual Design Review here.
