Providence River Pedestrian Bridge Competition

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About Providence River Pedestrian Bridge Competition

UPDATE! The City of Providence is pleased to announce that the winning design for the Providence River Pedestrian Bridge Design Competition is Design 10, submitted by inFORM studio and Buro Happold. Thank you to everyone who participated!

The public comment period for the Providence River Pedestrian Bridge design competition has been closed.

Please click here to view images and text submitted by the 11 finalists: www.flickr.com/photos/55268422@N08/sets/


The City of Providence is staging a limited design competition to select the designer for the Providence River Pedestrian Bridge which will replace the old Interstate 195 Bridge that spans the Providence River. The bridge will create a new connection for pedestrians and bicyclists from the Fox Point and College Hill neighborhoods to Downtown, particularly to the emerging ‘Knowledge District’. The bridge will also serve as the link between two new waterfront parks that will be developed as part of the I-195 relocation project.

The Pedestrian River Bridge Design Selection Committee, comprised of local architects, neighborhood residents, representatives from local universities, business owners, RIDOT, and the City, chose the following eleven finalists from a pool of over forty-seven design teams from across the United States and around the world:

• !melk (New York, NY) /Balmond Studio/Robert Silman Associates
• Endres Ware (Berkeley, CA)
• H2L2 (Philadelphia, PA) /Arup
• inFORM studio/Buro Happold (New York, NY)
• La Dallman Architects (Milwaukee, WI)
• McDowell + Benedetti Architects LLP (London, England)
• RFR (Paris, France)
• Rosales + Partners (Boston, MA)/Schlaich Bergermann & Partner
• Studio Providence, LLC (Providence, RI)
• William D. Warner Architects and Planners, Ltd. (Exeter, RI)
• WXY architecture + urban design (New York, NY)

The eleven bridge designs will remain on display on the 3rd Floor of City Hall throughout the month of November and can also be viewed online.


Who is on the Selection Committee?

The Selection Committee Members are:
· Rhode Island School of Design Provost (Chair of the Selection Committee)
· Director of the Rhode Island Department of Transportation
· City of Providence Superintendent of Parks
· City of Providence Director of Planning
· Assistant Vice President of Planning, Design, and Construction, Brown University
· Private business representative – downtown Providence
· Vice President of the Rhode Island Chapter of AIA
· President of the Fox Point Neighborhood Association
· Vice President of the Jewelry District Association
· Executive Director, Rhode Island Historical Preservation & Heritage Commission


The Selection Committee wants to hear your opinion!

The public is invited to provide written feedback on the designs both on Flickr (through the comment feature on photo sets or on each photo) and through the comment sheets available on the 3rd Floor of City Hall. The Selection Committee will review and evaluate the designs as well as the public comments and make a recommendation to Mayor Cicilline, who will announce the winning design at the end of November.

Please note that this is a blind competition. Each finalist has been assigned a number, and all submissions will be identified exclusively by that number. If you are commenting on a specific design, please be sure to include the design team number that you are referencing in your comment. The design team number can be found on the lower right-hand corner of each image.


Design criteria
The eleven design teams were each asked to submit a single design for the pedestrian bridge. Designs will be judged on the following criteria:

• The proposed bridge design is a creative, original and inspired interpretation of the design challenge.
• The proposed bridge incorporates the five existing piers. (Required)
• The design would serve as a landmark of City-wide and regional importance and would contribute to the image and identity of the City looking back and looking forward; connecting historic College Hill with the emerging center of innovation in the Knowledge District.
• The design provides adequate space for gathering spaces, including seating and shade structures, without interfering with the travel paths of pedestrians and bicyclists across the bridge.
• User experience and sense of place are maximized by the connection to the River and by considering views and points of access to the River.
• The bridge and the landings are bicycle and wheelchair friendly and ADA compliant.
• Bridge landing designs are well integrated into the proposed parks on both the east and west sides of the River; anticipated movement patterns to and from the bridge from surrounding neighborhoods, as well as movement along the river, are considered.
• The design is constructible and economically feasible.
• Innovative, creative or alternative approaches are used to ensure that the design is cost effective.
• Durability of materials, ease and cost of maintenance and the New England climate are considered.
• The proposed bridge incorporates sustainable design elements.
• The graphic and written components of the presentation are detailed, clear and of the highest quality.

http://cityof.providenceri.com/planning