Competition Statement: Phase One
Point Pleasant Park has and will continue to be significant contributor to the outstanding quality of life that is Halifax. It is our belief that the destruction caused by Hurricane Juan should not be looked at as a tragedy, but an opportunity to renew and integrate the park further into the history and culture of Halifax and this region of Canada. Because of the parks size it is allowing us to rethink the way the park is planned and maintained and how it can be utilized by the local community as well as becoming a destination point for travelers from around the world.
Like many classically designed parks from Europe to Asia this design is intended to instigate culture, nature, sport, recreation, memory and history into one cohesive area. Opportunities to create outdoor performance space, community sports facilities, educational walks, areas for memorials and monuments, rehabilitation of historic places, specialty gardens, and the reintroduction of indigenous tree and plant life in the areas devastated by Juan.
At this stage the proposed design is being approached as a planning study exploring the possibilities of creating a park that engages all aspects of culture and society. The proposed planning will create visual and aesthetic natural axis to each of the proposed lawns, gardens and sea. These axis pass through areas designed to be replanted with indigenous trees and plant life devastated by hurricane Juan. At the center and intersection of these lawns will be placed The Grand Central Garden which will be designed as a true formal garden in the French Imperial style. The lawns radiating and bisecting the Central Garden shall each be designated by cultural activity with many terminating into the sea by a series or piers each of which is designated by a sub activity related to the sea which brought the Old World to the New World. The gardens and forests shall be designated by a natural activity and with the exception of The Grand Central Garden shall be designed as free flowing natural indigenous areas much like what existed before the east merged with the west.
THE LAWNS:
The Lawn of MEMORY: This lawn is designed as the main entry to the park. This lawn is intended to become a processional area for the placement of select monuments and memorials from the past through the future. The hope is the monuments/memorials will be place chronologically from the entry of the park to the center, but never reaching the center or future.
The Lawn of SPORT: This lawn is the first intersection with the lawn of memory and is comprised of the Court field followed by pools placed as infill at the intersecting lawns would be used for winter activities such as ice skating and hockey and finally descending through the Beach and into the sea.
The COURT Field: is designed to be an area adjacent to the neighboring neighborhoods and provide a place of sport recreation. Fields could be comprised of soccer, football, basketball, baseball and track..
The BEACH: The sport lawn descends to the Black Rock Beach where swimming activities tack place and eventually returning to the sea via two piers: The Sunning Pier and Diving Pier.
The Lawn of CULTURE: This lawn represents the ideal of culture starting from the historic Prince of Wales Tower and descending and terminating into a reverse Ampatheater. The purpose of the reverse is not only to take advantage of acoustical qualities of the ascending terrain and historic Prince of Wales Tower in front of the seated audience, but also to act as a screening devise for the lawn from the existing container yard in the distance. The ampatheater is planned to be designed in the classic style of a Roman ampatheater, providing a local venue for summer theatrical plays, performances, lectures and small concerts.
Lawn of DEFENSE: This lawn is dedicated to the founding and building of Halifax and Canada. The lawn links Fort Ogilvie, The Cambridge Battery and Northwest Arm Battery in one axial lawn again descending to the sea and terminating at the Ship Pier. The lawn is designed in plan as a straight axial movement through the site, but in section will be physically traversed with rugged winding paths placed with in the lawn leading one down to the sea. The experience should be similar to that of the people who occupied and defended this land during the time of founding.
The SHIP Pier: The ship pier at the end of the lawn is intended to house a historic ship hopefully one used during the founding of Halifax.
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