With the I-395 overpass and expansive parking lots, Washington D.C.’s southwestern waterfront is more car-oriented than it is maritime. Because of this, the capital’s waterfront is missing out on the vibrancy of other cities by the water, such as Copenhagen, Venice, or Seattle.
The Wharf, a new wharf plan for the District, aims to change this scenario. The project, a team effort including the District of Columbia, Perkins Eastman and developer Hoffman-Madison Marquette, will transform the car-dominated streets into a complex of “shared space.” Greater Greater Washington reports that the street planning gives pedestrians priority, using subtle but effective visual cues instead of curbs and traffic signals. Paving selection that helps differentiate pedestrian, vehicular, and shared spaces is a key aspect.
The mixed-use complex will house retail, offices, housing, and public spaces such as parks and an extensive waterfront promenade.
The project broke ground in March 2014 and will be built in phases, with completion slated for 2020.
Visit The Wharf's official website for more information.
The current, car-dominated southwestern waterfront. Photo via Google Maps.
Ground plan of the Wharf. Courtesy of Perkins Eastman.
A view of the Civic Commons. Courtesy of Perkins Eastman.
Maine Avenue. Courtesy of Perkins Eastman.
The "Jazz Alley" at night. Courtesy of Perkins Eastman.
A piazza. Courtesy of Perkins Eastman
Related Stories
| Apr 26, 2013
Decaying city: Exhibit demonstrates the fragility of the man-made world
Theater set designer Johanna Mårtensson built a model cityscape out of bread only to watch it decay.
| Apr 25, 2013
SmithGroupJJR hires Lise Newman as Workplace Studio Leader in Detroit
SmithGroupJJR, one of the nation's largest architecture, engineering and planning firms, has hired architect Lise Newman, AIA, as Workplace Studio leader at its Detroit, Mich. office.
| Apr 25, 2013
Colorado State University, DLR Group team to study 12 high-performance schools
DLR Group and the Institute for the Built Environment at Colorado State University have collaborated on a research project to evaluate the effect of green school design on occupants and long-term building performance.
| Apr 24, 2013
More positive momentum for Architecture Billings Index
All regions and building sectors continue to report positive business conditions
| Apr 24, 2013
North Carolina bill would ban green rating systems that put state lumber industry at disadvantage
North Carolina lawmakers have introduced state legislation that would restrict the use of national green building rating programs, including LEED, on public projects.
| Apr 24, 2013
Los Angeles may add cool roofs to its building code
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa wants cool roofs added to the city’s building code. He is also asking the Department of Water and Power (LADWP) to create incentives that make it financially attractive for homeowners to install cool roofs.
| Apr 23, 2013
Building material innovation: Concrete cloth simplifies difficult pours
Milliken recently debuted a flexible fabric that allows for concrete installations on slopes, in water, and in other hard to reach places—without the need for molds or mixing.
| Apr 23, 2013
Architects to MoMA: Don't destroy Williams/Tsien project
Richard Meier, Thom Mayne, Steven Holl, Hugh Hardy and Robert A.M. Stern are among the prominent architects who on Monday called for the Museum of Modern Art to reconsider its decision to demolish the former home of the American Folk Art Museum.
| Apr 22, 2013
Top 10 green building projects for 2013 [slideshow]
The AIA's Committee on the Environment selected its top ten examples of sustainable architecture and green design solutions that protect and enhance the environment.