We are very excited to share with all of you the final document of our proposal for West Palm Beach, Florida, U.S.A.

As we shared last December, we were one of the two finalist teams selected for the competition “Shore to Core”, commissioned by the West Palm Beach Community Redevelopment Agency and organized by the Van Alen Institute. The competition was aimed at finding innovative solutions for the city’s downtown, facing such varied challenges such as sea level rise, climatic conditions, seasonal fluctuations and social transformation, among others.

In particular, it was required to provide solutions and ideas for several specific areas of the city: the waterfront structured by Flagler Drive, annex spaces such as the Great Lawn or the Meyer Amphiteather; the existing alleyways, which currently serve as delivery spaces and have a great potential for public space use; and the Banyan Garage, a municipal parking building which could become the catalyst project of the whole urban transformation.

A Lively and Inclusive Downtown With a New Iconic Waterscape Experience

Our proposal imagines the future West Palm Beach as a dynamic and inclusive downtown. It will provide access to a new urban waterscape, enhancing the city’s connection to the lagoon and all of its infinite possibilities of urban leisure and enjoyment. The new waterfront incorporates a wide array of outdoor activities and public spaces multiplying the possibilities of interaction with the water. Youth and seniors are taken into account within a healthier living environment for all of West Palm Beach’s residents and visitors.

The ecological and resilient design allows people to enjoy a more comfortable environment all year round. It will be active, continually changing day and night. It will host diverse outdoor spaces with gorgeous views and the capacity to foster different activities. This new urban environment blurs the line between the city and the water, bringing the nature of the Lagoon back to the city center while adapting to rise of the sea-level and resisting to natural hazards.

The Waterfront: A Playful and Interactive Urban Waterscape. Take a break and have a refreshing swim at the Aquatic Plaza.

Rain Plaza. Experience the rainbow on a sunny day.

A Sustainable Aquatic City Combining Leisure and Urban Activities. Enjoy the most attractive urban waterscape in Florida!

The New Generation Of Civic Minded Buildings Starts In West Palm Beach

The Banyan Garage is reimagined as a new beacon for activities in Downtown. This hybrid and exceptionally flexible building will be open to the public day and night and it will have an active presence in the city, attracting business and talent with its varied programs. This new hub will be a place where people create knowledge, cultivate culture, foster innovation, and even produce goods. Its configuration allows many different uses to coexist, which also makes it flexible to adapt to changing needs in the future.

It is an accessible building that will become a true part of the city, starting from the ground floor all the way to the public roof terrace. Its ecological design features a green permeable façade and two themed courtyards -one natural and one digital- that will ensure pleasant environmental conditions all year round while also reducing the building’s environmental impact and management costs.

The Banyan: A New Urban Hub Open to the City And Its Citizens.

Farmers Market day at Banyan’s ground floor

Banyan Hub. Natural courtyard.

Banyan Hub. Digital courtyard.

Level 4 – Open-air Plaza at the Banyan

The Active Roof Terrace open to the landscape

Here you can see the complete document

The final presentation in front of the jury members will take place next March 30th in West Palm Beach… We are now ready and very much looking forward to it!!!