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Design Inquiries

 

 
Public Park at Pier 3 in East Boston

Project type: Urban Park

Design: Spring 1991

General planning / design issues: Provide programmed and unprogrammed recreation space for the local community and occasional visitors to the area.

 
 

 

  
Specific site and program constraints (opportunities):
  • The pier is one of a number of piers at this abandoned waterfront
  • The future park would be part of the East Boston public park system
  • The pier would provide access to the water
  • The pier has structural issues: requires rehabilitation to ensure safety for public use
  • Glass, metal, toxic materials on site are hazards and must be removed for public use
  • Programmed recreation activities: baseball diamond required

Design solution:

Small interventions within the site reveal cultural history and naturalization process. The interventions are independent, yet refer to each other.

  • All hazardous material removed from site -- leaving non-hazardous material such as old lumber in place
  • Pier structurally upgraded, and resurfaced where required; protective railing installed where required for public safety
  • "Folly" or installation built at apparent center of the park area. Seating and a concession provided. Folly is visible from all areas of the park and acts as a landmark within it.
  • There is a smaller folly at the outer end of the pier
  • Naturalizing areas remain
  • Baseball diamond incised into the naturalizing area, thus highlighting the naturalization process and defining the programmed recreation area
  • Steel "arc" (Serra-like) installed mirroring the apparent curve of Boston harbor visible from the pier. The arc is made of the same steel and with the same process as old ship hulls and helps recall the precontainer shipping era and the ships that used to dock at the pier. The arc begins seat high and reaches about seven feet, but is cut in places to allow movement on the site and to ensure public safety (no large hidden areas).