Principal Riverwalk Hub Spot

What were the circumstances of receiving the commission for this project?

The project was secured through an RFP (Request for a Proposal) and interview process. We competed with four other firms – each much more established. Substance was less than one year old when we received the commission. The project, however, took seven years to design and build due to a complex funding stream that involved Federal, State, and local governments, as well as a private/public partnership.

Please provide an overview of the project.

The City of Des Moines, along with the Principal Financial Group, master planned and developed a recreational trail and promenade along both banks of the Des Moines River in downtown Des Moines. The resulting City of Des Moines Principal Riverwalk is a significant piece of urban infrastructure that integrates new civic amenities with important flood control measures. The result is a nexus that ties together miles of existing recreation trails, and allows Des Moines citizens to directly engage the river. This pavilion is a café and restroom structure that rests on a gently sloping public plaza space located where the Riverwalk intersects Court Avenue – the main artery for the city’s historic entertainment district. 

What are the main ideas and inspirations influencing the design of the building?

The pavilion was conceived as a transparent café space resting at the prow of a boat- shaped plaza with restrooms and service spaces housed underneath – as if excavated out of the plaza surface. The plaza is sloped upward to provide the café space panoramic views of the Des Moines River and the State Capitol building. This space is shielded by a folded zinc plane that provides solar and weather protection, as well as defining an exterior dining space. The lower service spaces are accessed from the downward sloping recreation trail that runs directly west of the building. This trail connects street level activity with the river level promenade and other trails running throughout central Iowa. The plaza is populated by a series of ceramic sculptures (5 Dangos) developed in collaboration with artist Jun Kaneko.

To what extent did the clients and/or future users of the building influence the design and the outcome of the building?

The building program was developed working carefully with the client and user groups. A series of public meetings indentified the need for both a café and public restrooms at this location.  In addition, the need for a small public plaza was identified as well. Finally, some service spaces associated with the ongoing care and maintenance of the Riverwalk were needed. This project integrated those needs into a simple composition using the sloping site to minimize the building footprint.

Were there any significant challenges that arose during the project? If so, how did you respond to them?

The complex owner group included representatives from the City of Des Moines, Polk County Board of Supervisors, the Army Corps of Engineers, the Chamber of Commerce, the Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation, and the Principal Financial Group. Each brought a separate set of requirements that needed to be incorporated. Careful communication and collaboration allowed the project to remain coherent.

How does the building relate to contemporary architectural trends, be it sustainability, technology, etc.?

The building utilizes ground source (geothermal) heating and cooling coupled with cross ventilation, as well as daylight harvesting and high efficiency electrical systems to reduce its carbon footprint. Moreover, the program of the building promotes recreation and community connectivity by providing necessary amenities to reinforce the city’s existing recreational trail system.

How would you describe the architecture of Iowa and how does the building relate to it?

Iowa, like much of the Midwest, is characterized by what could be called an “enlightened pragmatism” – a mindset that places a premium on direct and effective solutions over ephemeral notions of style. This is tied to our agricultural heritage and a history of self-sufficiency. Des Moines, specifically, augments this worldview with exposure to works by some of the greatest architects of the 20th Century – Mies van der Rohe, Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, Gordon Bunshaft (SOM), I.M. Pei, Richard Meier, David Chipperfield, and, particularly, Eliel Saarinen. Elegant simplicity is the hallmark of Iowa’s best architecture – whether homegrown or imported. This project aspires to be a simple, direct integration of diverse and disparate program consistent with these ideals.

Email interview conducted by John Hill.