Global design and consulting firm Woods Bagot and landscape architects Surfacedesign, Inc. have unveiled their design for the Mesa City Center. Mesa Central, an engaging and dynamic civic park designed to catalyze the rise of the city’s downtown Main Street district as a year-round urban destination. The proposal is one of three plans currently under consideration by the City of Mesa, which expects to announce its selection in October 2014.
Inspired by nature and shaped by culture, Mesa Central is a contemporary park that blends civic landscape appropriate for the seat of city government with a variety of experiences and amenities for all ages. Through a program of landscape features, varied pathways, new structures, strategic renovations, and parking options, Mesa Central’s plan offers the city the option of phased implementation to achieve this vision for a new civic public space within the project budget.
Mesa Central features ‘The Wash’ a landscaped pedestrian corridor that connects a number of key institutions to the north with the Mesa Arts Center and Downtown Main Street to the south. A centerpiece of the park is ‘The Hangar,’ a flexible, all-weather space that reinterprets the historic hangar that once drew visitors to the site from around Arizona. Comprised of earthen walls—made, in part, from soil and asphalt removed from the site—and movable shade canopies, the Hangar can accommodate a diverse offering of events and gatherings, from exhibitions to performances. This multipurpose space acts as an extension of downtown and the culmination of Pepper Promenade, a two-block section of Pepper Place, lined with cultural institutions.
Set along the Hangar’s south side is ‘The Cloud,’ an open and airy vertical play space that, at night, will becoming a glowing beacon for the city. The Hangar and the Cloud also will incorporate emerging photovoltaic technologies to drive the site’s energy harvesting strategy.
Dynamic water elements—integrated with the site’s comprehensive reclaimed water system—work to further activate Mesa Central while cooling respite on hot days. Three ‘Hydro Rooms’ draw inspiration from the historic canals of Mesa while playfully reflecting the way water is seen and heard in the Arizona landscape.
Mesa Central will inspire, connect and commemorate the best of Mesa by creating a regional destination that brings people of all generations downtown throughout the year.
