Someone not on Twitter asked for it so here it is – the live Tweets from today's Arch competition team presentations and jury interview. Other's comments can be found by searching #cityarchriver on Twitter. You can follow urbanSTL at @urbanstl. Yep, they're in reverse chronological order – I'd advise starting from the bottom.
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Team presentations are over. Big statement from PWP coming re: I-70 removal. 5th and final team to weigh in on issue.
PWP: I came to this project because I knew Dan Kiley. I've read Saarinen's letter to Dan firing him…
To be clear: the juror wants war to be declared on historic preservation American style.
Juror: "You're declaring war on historic preservation as it's done in US and by NPS."
PWP: skylights cutting through main arch lawn can't be walked on. (That's a killer)
PWP: if we can just get the original vision right, maybe others will figure out the rest.
PWP: We want a mysterious, rustic downtown park. That's exciting. (Commercialization isn't needed)
Q: What's the frontier village? A: "Saarinen suggested it and we don't think it's a bad idea."
Juror: Why are you re-interpreting, not preserving? You have radical proposal by offering to know what Kiley/Saarinen wanted.
PWP: people will come to our park more often as NPS builds up programming and by honoring Kiley.
PWP: "We're punting on N&S ends. Someone in the future would decide."
PWP: N&S are "land banked" for possible future collaboration with cultural institutions.
PWP redeems itself with talk of the need to remove I-70.
PWP: Until we can pull the freeway out it's difficult to make the most of Memorial Dr. "We really need to remove I-70."
PWP jeering section: UN-DER-WHELMING (clap, clap, clap-clap-clap). Repeat.
Save Godfrey, IL! RT @jpjernigan: PWP's Eastside proposal is a-maize-ing. Actually, a corn maze would be awesome. Do that.
Best part of PWP animation: trees 70yrs old. Perfect for 2080 celebration! Point is a lot will be post-2015 for any team.
PWP movie: Opens with flying over corn fields on East Side! My Q: would regional visitors care about corn?
PWP pretty good presentation, demeanor, thoughts on culture of Midwest etc. Renderings remain terribly underwhelming.
PWP: When I was at Illinois U it was a big celebration when we harvested corn-everyone brought their families!
We'll see if the jury aggrees! RT @jpjernigan: trying to realize the original vision doesn't necessarily entice visitors.
Ha! RT @michaelcalhoun: "You originally got it kinda right, but we can get it more originally right." -PWP team's essence
PWP: museum must defer to Arch (I'm not sure two pop-up entrances are better than sunken entrance like other teams).
PWP wants to fight codes to bring Saarinen's original stairs (just like today's, but catenary with push out to river)
Can't overstate enough: PWP entire focus is on original intent. They're Arch grounds strict constructionists!
PWP: I speak allee. (They're heavy, HEAVY into realizing Saarinen and Kiley dream – at least as they interpret)
PWP: I know Dan Kiley, I was friends with Dan Kiley and no other team is Dan Kiley! (paraphrasing)
PWP is the 5th of 5 teams to recognize that removing I-70 is the best solution.
RT @michaelcalhoun: Basically- they want the highway gone, but can't include it in their plans.
RT @michaelcalhoun: Their stats: 21m downtown vistors. 2m Arch visitors. Less than 10% crossover.
PWP: "we know there are people who want I-70 gone and if that can be done you can open many more connections."
Random woman in from of me has scorecard: W/M-38, MVVA-47, Behnisch-50, SOM-44, PWP-?
PWP-Foster+Partners-Civitas up now: starts with "our position is to look into history of Arch and grounds. We're reasonable and practical."
That's it for SOM: sum=I'd love to see ESTL come to the river, it's a big challenge, please let us do it!
A: north built to accentuate modes of transit, south built to envigorate, add active village.
BIG A: n&s extend paths to city… (Juror: you're making an architectural statement-what is it?!?!)
Juror: you're the only ones to introduce development north and south & include MaCarthur Bridge, but what's with n&s end?
Juror: the floating pool is awesome, why isn't it bigger? BIG: doesn't need to be huge to have massive effect.
A: south pavilion could house entire Lewis and Clark expedition archives currently scattered around country.
Q: what 3 new things does a visitor get? A: multi-generational info, very serious exploration of American issues.
"This will be banal…what's your parking strategy?" A: NPS doesn't need to provide parking, the city does that!
Jury: "is east side amphitheater economically feasible?" A: 4M within 50miles. So yes. Some performances from west side.
A: we need a budget, the city, the public & the park to set priorities. "We need a public process."
Juror: your 2015 list is ambitious-what's really necessary? A: we don't want to be naïve – and we haven't had a public process
Gerald Early: do water taxis function during flooding? A: No. Then people use bridges & MetroLink and shuttle bus.
Juror: "how do you mow lawns on roofs of south end?" (I'm rolling eyes) Roofs are green roofs requiring v little maintenance.
Jury: "your plan depends on flying carpet, my job is to mow lawn and you made my job more difficult. Plan's expensive too!"
SOM A: n & s ends meld city to park, softening hard edge-needed to revitalize Chouteau's Landing and more.
Bjarke of BIG OWNS his design elements (n & s ends)-very confident. Jury wondering how adding activity to park helps city.
SOM A: we're providing small interventions to activate park-key moments to bring city & park together-hybrid areas.
To the jury! First Q: "curious about n and s ends-why strong formal ideas there?"
WOW rendering of Cargill plant as museum/aquarium.
Big heads are magical landscape of discovery. More head details! (Plensa again) Faces build relationship with visitor.
SOM: Crossing river: "before we build a new bridge we want to use existing bridges." (MacArthur)
BIG now pitching floating swimming pool in river. Uses filtered river water. "Urban life moved into the river".
Nearly 200 now at Arch Competition jury interview. #cityarchriver (SOM talking about revitalizing Old Courthouse – smart!)
FYI: design teams are not allowed to watch other team's presentations and Q&A today.
BIG talking "Magic Carpet": "cap and narrow I-70. Over time, shut down I-70 completely."
Plensa talking "Whispering Leaves"-they create spaces the shape of nature, the city is protecting the people, welcoming.
Which ever team wins, a comprehensive traffic study for the area is needed. Hopefully @citytoriver can push this to happen.
BIG: "the park kisses the Eads Bridge." I'm feeling the love!
All Arch design teams show impressive knowledge of STL – gained almost entirely in less than a year.
Economic recovery will come. STL will come back! This project is perfect for Fed funding.
SOM: "Plan must consider economic and cultural upheavals of Midwest."
SOM video shows visitors sprinting across Memorial Drive – shows Old Courthouse as "new museum". Smart.
SOM video features Arch visitors with concerns in their own words. Nice touch!
SOM is up now.
No doubt Arch competition on the hands of pros. RT @downtownstlbiz: I like these jurors…
Behnisch getting grilled on "vague" plans. What's essential? What's aspirational? Who decides and when?
STL's John Hoal says public-private partnerships are crucial. This moves beyond 2015. Cites Forest Park Forever.
Getting real with expectations, Behnisch: "we need the loop, access to east and museum by 2015." It seems other items are further out.
Behnisch: "We think we can replace trees for the 2015 celebration." Clearly lots of any plan will be phased over 5-10+ yrs.
RT @michaelcalhoun: most persistent questions yet. Is it because jurors are skeptical of, or confident in proposal?
Juror Q:"80% of Arch visitors don't visit city, how does more programming on grounds get people into city?" A: lid and activity on Mall too
Behnisch: We're offering ideas. There's needs to be a discussion with residents, downtown and more. The public must back what's built.
Jurors ask more about parking: "we think the goal is not to have a drive-in monument. People should experience the city."
Behisch: "Something has to happen, or else we wouldn't be here. Honestly, Arch is great, but we need change."
Gerald Early (juror): how do you respond to those who think gondolas are competing with Arch?
Behnisch: "lots of discussion on blogs about gondolas-it's cheaper than a bridge and adds motion-creates revenue like London ferris wheel."
Behnisch: "We will put STL streets on a diet."
Behnisch: "the face of St. Louis is missing teeth". STL turns its back to the river.
Behnisch: "the public has the right to say what happens in the right-of-way"
Behnisch starts with a film – very Euro, but still tasteful!
W/M give best reason for people to go to riverfront at night (reliable boat moorings – keep restaurants/boats open).
Will someone please ask MVVA about the pitiful suggestion of adding 3ft to Eads Bridge sidewalks?!
Behnisch, SOM, PWP Arch design team interviews 1-6:30pm: follow @michaelcalhoun, @jpjernigan and of course @urbanstl
RT @michaelcalhoun: Judge just said downtown parking is "virtually empty" and sees that as a chance to pull people into city.
Bring back the fur trade! RT @jpjernigan: Archgrounds as a sustainable park, can make #STL a "pioneer" city again. Punny.
MVVA Team…RT @michaelcalhoun: @jpjernigan Landscape is cheap, and the economy sucks.
RT @michaelcalhoun: They also say much of landscape is already perfect, and they just want to honor it
RT @michaelcalhoun: "Money is hard to find," MVVA says. Are they downplaying expectations?
For Arch Competition coverage this morning follow @michaelcalhoun. I'll be back in the PM
W/M: We look forward to a time when I-70 elevated over Wash Ave is gone.
Arch competition jury isn't playing softball…teams will need to bring A-game.
RT @michaelcalhoun: Jury asked W/M about Memorial Drive. They'd close a block of it.. but ultimately want I-70's removal.
Jury asking about closing a block of Memorial Dr. – "we've also been thinking about the boulevard and we know that's doable"
New rendering by Weiss-Manfredi shows urban boulevard in place of I-70
Weiss-Manfredi clearly leaders in reusing infrastructure-east side lookout, PSB-anchored ped bridge, north parking, etc.
Lots of new renderings not in presentation boards or full narratives being shown…
Maybe 100 in attendance for Weiss-Manfredi
Statsny at the podium and the show's getting started…
At the Arch competition jury interview – Weiss-Manfredi up soon.
