Since its opening in 1973, Prospect Pier’s Inverted Pyramid has been the symbol of St. Petersburg’s intricate relationship with its waterfront. It was a statement of visionary architecture that explored the possibilities of the technology of its time. Still today, when seen from land, the pyramid is a landmark on the horizon.
Functionally, FR-EE’s rejuvenated Pier is a stage hosting public activities for all St. Pete’s generations. Prospect Pier will become part of the continuous evolving history of the city and relationship with the bay. Visually, our design distills the pyramid into its most pure and timeless shape. The pyramid physically and symbolically connects three public spaces representing city, sea, and sky.
From the city’s downtown heart, visitors walk over a new, slimmer bridge. This path will extend up through the building via a grand naturally ventilated stairway that leads to the roof. A large, landscaped roof terrace slopes to provide dramatic views back to the city. Inside, the building’s leasable space has been reduced but made more flexible. The top level provides restaurants and outdoor areas for entertainment and contemplation. Acting like a canopy, the building shades wide landscaped steps around the building. These facilitate both spontaneous gatherings and programmed activities.
YEAR
2014
STATUS
Competition
SCALE
Uplands: 26,012 m2 /
280,000 ft2
Pier and Pier Head:
10,089 m2 /
108,600 ft2
Building: 6,912 m2 /
74,400 ft2
LOCATION
St. Petersburg, Florida, US
PROJECT CREDITS
Civitas
Mesh
Arup
Pentagram
Tillotson
Vickstrom
Faller Davis
CC&A
CONTEXT
Upgrading of the existing pier, building and uplands. Mixed use: observation areas, restaurants, marine discovery center and family entertainment. Redeveloped public space and domain.
TEAM
Fernando Romero, Sergio Rebelo, Yuri Jeong, Celia Julve, Francisco Rocha, Alex Zee, Qingyi Chen, Joao Urbano, Feifei Song, Wen Zhu, Jessica Wang, Unai Artetxe, Sunny Wang, Natalia Valencia, Daniela Gallo, Fatimah Azzahra, Christopher Shelley.
Gallery
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Forbes, March 2020