October 2018 - Parks & Recreation - 51

A Community-Responsive
Design
Ultimately, the public, the Design
Oversight Committee and the formal
jury of design professionals selected
OMA+OLIN's proposal: an iconic
" X " structure constructed on top of
repurposed bridge piers that support
the park and allow it to float over
the river. The design team stretched
" stepping stones " of the community's desired program - including
an amphitheater for performance,
a café, community gardens, a play
area, an environmental education
center, waterfalls and planting -
across the Anacostia River.
The design team carefully considered the placement of each
programmatic element to ensure a
true " Place of Exchange " for residents and visitors from both sides
of the river. Given the presence of
the Capitol Riverfront Park and its
existing amenities west of the river,
many of the key amenities for the
11th Street Bridge Park were located toward the eastern half of the
bridge to encourage visitors to visit
businesses and cultural sites in Historic Anacostia and the adjacent

neighborhoods. In addition, the
team designed the entrance from
Good Hope Road to be a welcoming approach to the Bridge Park,
with picnic areas, a canoe/kayak
launch and demonstration gardens
associated with the Environmental
Education Center.
The project's design integrates
four key goals: to connect neighborhoods that have historically
been divided by the river, to reengage residents with the river and
educate the public about the importance of ecosystem health, to
improve residents' health by providing safe places for play and exercise, and to encourage equitable
and inclusive economic growth.
Key to the design is Anaquash
Plaza, a multifunctional space at
the center of the structure. Its name
is derived from the Nacotchtank Indian term meaning " village trading
center. " A yearly calendar of community events will attract residents
from both sides of the river, as well
as regional visitors and tourists from
around the world. At the ends of
the crossing pedestrian paths, vis-

itors will experience iconic views
along the river, west toward Capitol
Hill and east toward Cedar Hill, the
historic home of writer, statesman
and abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who crossed the river each day
on his way to Capitol Hill.

Healthy River,
Healthy Community
Human health and ecosystem
health are indelibly interconnected,
a relationship that the Bridge Park
design team sought to embody in
the design. The Bridge Park will allow visitors to easily cross the river
and will provide a key moment in
the existing Anacostia Riverwalk
Trail system, a continuous 20-mile
trail on both sides of the river. It
will include walking and running
loops, as well as places for play and
group exercise. The Environmental
Education Center will track the status of the Anacostia River's health
and the many private and public
efforts to clean the Anacostia. The
center will demonstrate multiple
green-infrastructure strategies that
city residents can support toward
The Bridge Park Plots program has
realized a network of community
gardens on both sides of the river.

PHOTO COURTESY OF BECKY HARLAN

on both sides of the river. These early conversations provided the framework and programmatic basis for a
design competition held in 2014 by
BBAR, which will manage the Bridge
Park when it opens to the public.
BBAR formed a Design Oversight
Committee of residents, community
leaders, business owners and adjacent landowners to ensure the community's aspirations would continue to be prioritized throughout the
competition phase. Competition
teams - including OMA+OLIN
- gained valuable feedback from
this committee during the design
process, which informed the most
responsive proposals.

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October 2018 - Parks & Recreation

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