Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Open Letter to Participants in Arch Design Competition

Dear Design Community:

Welcome to St. Louis! The magnificent Arch you will soon be studying is the cherished icon of St. Louis. It is our landmark and logo to the world. Unfortunately, it is like a precious gem placed in an inferior setting. For the past couple of years, the National Park Service has led an effort to fix that problem and reconnect the Arch, the riverfront, and downtown into one vibrant area. The designs you create will set in motion a process to transform downtown St. Louis.

Early on in this effort, Senator John Danforth encouraged big thinking for the future of downtown and the riverfront. The design competition will be where those ideas emerge. As you shape your plans, look around and see the challenges we are addressing. What big ideas are possible? How can infrastructure leverage transformative change? If we succeed in this effort, the answers to those questions will be revealed for St. Louis.

Comments on this website are unmoderated. What would others add to this open letter to the individuals and firms embarking on this potentially transformative project for downtown St. Louis and the region?

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Dear Design Community,

Where'd you go to high school?