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Editorial: A less iconic, more practical pier

 
THE DESIGN AFTER CHANGES: In the end, the designers eliminated the fabric altogether and used a roof made of concrete with ends of louvered aluminum. That will protect visitors from the elements and present far fewer maintenance issues.
THE DESIGN AFTER CHANGES: In the end, the designers eliminated the fabric altogether and used a roof made of concrete with ends of louvered aluminum. That will protect visitors from the elements and present far fewer maintenance issues.
Published March 24, 2016

St. Petersburg's old pier — the inverted pyramid — was iconic but limited in its function. The proposed new pier — a fabric-draped geometric form — was iconic but more conceptual than practical. Now the architects and the city have listened to the community and refined the vision to better let form follow function.

The result, which will come before the City Council for another vote on April 7, is less visually stunning at first glance but more likely to serve its proper and practical purpose as the capstone to a completely reimagined pier, one that is like a park and amplifies the best features of St. Petersburg's magnificent waterfront.

Faced with budget constraints and construction realities, plans for major civic projects are always going to evolve from concept to completion. Such is the case here, particularly with the structure at the pier's end. Originally, the designers — ASD of Tampa, Rogers Partners Architects and Urban Designers and Ken Smith Landscape Architect of New York — envisioned a new building wrapped in ribbons of fabric similar to the roof of Tropicana Field. Then came questions. How would it be cleaned? Maintained? How would it shield pedestrians from rain? How would it obstruct some views?

In the end, the designers made the sensible decision to eliminate the fabric altogether and use a roof made of concrete with ends of louvered aluminum. That will protect visitors from the elements and present far fewer maintenance issues in a building that is supposed to last 75 years.

In the same way, responding to input from the community and restaurant owners, the designers rotated the restaurant to the west to provide a 270-degree view that includes city panoramas rather than mostly views overlooking just Tampa Bay. They changed the tram drop-off to make it more visually appealing than staring up and out at an expanse of concrete. They changed the slope of the Great Lawn that leads up to the pier building to make it less steep, more hospitable to tossing a frisbee or a football. And they moved the fishing area to the far east end of the pier to place it over the old structural caissons that supported the original pier, a great habitat for fish — a sort of artificial reef — and for the fishermen just above them.

There are also unfortunate nods to fiscal reality. A budget of $33 million isn't a great sum for such a major civic project. For example, the much-touted "water lounge," where visitors could relax in a shallow pool of filtered Tampa Bay water, would be included only if money is somehow found. It would be nice to find the money, and it would be nice to invest more in the children's splash park that is sure to draw families.

But it's most important to focus on getting the big pieces right — the ones that are supposed to last several generations — and not scrimp on those to make all other things possible.

The original concept won a prestigious award from the New York Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. While this latest design looks less impressive and more traditional from some angles, it is likelier to serve residents and tourists better in the long run. If the old inverted pyramid taught us anything, it's that the form doesn't matter if it is failing to function.