St. Pete Pier Approach Park
St. Petersburg, Florida
A Steward of Florida's Ecology
The Pier Market is the entry component of the twenty-acre Pier Approach promenade. The design intent is to create a pedestrian-oriented space with carefully integrated vehicular and bicycle traffic that links downtown with the pier. The Pier Market design begins with the consideration of the site.
The intent is for the half-mile walk from Bayshore Drive to the Pier to serve as a culture connection from the city’s density to the water’s edge. Visitors will experience a multipurpose entry market that serves as an active local artisan Market during the week and a quiet art promenade during market off hours.
The purpose of the design is to accentuate what makes Florida life unique; and to do so, the strongest elements of Florida ecology must be taken to consideration, including sun, wind, water.
Sun: The Pier Market canopy is an integrated roof of translucent glass photovoltaic panels that protect the space below it from overexposure and unnecessary heat gain while also harvesting solar radiation that is placed back into the city grid. The design minimizes waste by not introducing another roofing material, but rather by integrating the structural purlins directly to the photovoltaic panel supports rails.
Wind: The Pier market canopy is lifted to allow for the bay breeze. The spaces between the market stalls and canopy also form a passage for natural ventilation. In the open position, the market stalls deploy a 9’ canopy for more intimate shade and protection from rain.
Water: With over 5300 linear feet of waterfront, the goal is to bring people to the water in a more engaging way and to improve the ecology of the area. The waterfront edges provide a variety of spaces for gathering and interacting with the water, including hard and soft edges.
Awards
AIA Florida Merit Award for Unbuilt Design (2018)
AIA Tampa Bay Jury Citation (2018)
AIA Tampa Bay Merit Award for Architecture (2021)
European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies and The Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design - Green Good Design Award (2022)
