URBAN GREENHOUSE

Design Processes IV

The historic Soulard Neighborhood of St. Louis, located in the southern portion of the city along the Mississippi River, was once a vibrant immigrant community that was destroyed by the creation of I-55. The fractured neighborhood now has many vacant lots along the highway. My site studies centered on situating Soulard within the city by relating it to St. Louis’s famous sites.

Placing the Soulard neighborhood within the context of St. Louis led me to design an urban lighthouse, an observatory-greenhouse for the community. This beacon would give the neighborhood a sculptural center. Observation pods direct visitors’ attention towards the city’s landmarks.