Image Credit : Kate Joyce
Project Overview
With a grant from the Walton Family Foundation, the City of Rogers, Arkansas embarked on a project to re-center their downtown with a new park that enhances economic development, spurs placemaking, and improves connectivity.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Collaborative Partners:
AFJH Architects (Associate Architect)
CEI Engineering Associates (Civil Engineer, Surveyor)
Crowne Group (Music Venue Consultant)
Goodfriend Magruder Structure (Structural Engineer)
HP Engineering (MEP, Fire Protection Engineer)
Schuler Shook (Lighting Design)
SPAN (Environmental Graphics and Branding)
Photography Credit: Kate Joyce, Kate Joyce Studios
Project Brief
Situated on the east boundary of Rogers’ historic downtown district, the new park has the potential to capitalize on recent public space investments and help to make downtown Rogers a regional destination.
Project Innovation/Need
The project utilized a vigorous community outreach effort, which helped build a sense of ownership and pride from city staff and residents. Through a digital survey that collected over 1,000 responses and in-person charrettes the design team helped define the park’s desired outcomes and objectives through the words of the community. This shared vision resulted in five priorities: Inviting, Memorable, Challenging, Beautiful, and Authentic.
Rogers, has been defined both economically and physically by the railroad that created a strong dividing line in the center of downtown. The park’s design ignores the rail as a barrier and blends the east and west together. The result is a series of plazas that transform throughout the day, week, month, and year. These versatile and flexible spaces create a new and distinct rhythm that extends beyond the park into adjacent streets.
These densely vegetated and programmed spaces help create unique experiences throughout the park and frame this piece of downtown as the new center instead of the edge.
A series of plazas transform throughout the day, week, month, and year. Each space takes on a unique identity as an urban room: Frisco Plaza, Water Plaza, Playard, and the Butterfield Stage.
The Water Stop pays homage to the history of Rogers as a location for steam locomotives to refill. These revisioned towers feature interactive water installations that help park-goers cool off during Arkansas’ hot summer days.
These functional relics turned billboards feature murals by the Mexico City-born, Fayetteville-based Octavio Logo, French street artist Mantra, and London-based Lakwena.
Architecture - Mixed Use - Constructed
This award celebrates the design process and product of planning, designing and constructing form, space and ambience that reflect functional, technical, social, and aesthetic considerations. Consideration given for material selection, technology, light and shadow.
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