The St. Petersburg Pier, a long-adored and long-outdated West Florida cultural attraction, has unveiled the semi-finalists in its international redesign competition. Of the twenty-three qualified inquiries received, nine were chosen to move forward in the contest. The competition attracted big names in the architecture world; BIG, West 8 Urban Design, James Corner Field Operations, and HOK Architects were among the participants.
More on the St. Petersburg Pier after the break.
The nine semifinalists are as follows:
1) BIG of New York 2) Farshid Moussavi Architecture of London 3) Frederic Schwartz Architects of New York 4) HOK of Tampa 5) James Corner Field Operations of New York 6) Michael Maltzan Architecture, Inc. of Los Angeles 7) WEISS/MANFREDI of New York 8) West 8 Urban Design of New York 9) !melk urban design of New York
The competition entrants were instructed to generate a new identity and iconic landmark for the next generation, to redefine the essential workings and create an integrated, enduring destination. The pier is the most discernible landmark in the history of the city, and it is crucial that the new design honor the history and relevance of the Pier to St. Petersburg. Perhaps most notably, the landmark is to be as characteristically inviting from water as it is from land.
In the next phase of the competition, beginning August 19, the jury will narrow the decision down to three semifinalists. Each of the three finalists will unveil and present their designs early December, and the winner will be announced early February, 2012.
Photos: Flickr: Timothy Valentine, Matthew Paulson
