Atlanta Bridgescape Competition Launches
January 14,2015
International design competition seeks proposals for two bridges crossing Atlanta’s Interstate 75/85 Connector
Central Atlanta Progress (CAP) and the Midtown Alliance today announced the Atlanta Bridgescape Competition, a design competition seeking a broad range of proposals for conceptual designs to reconceive and enhance two existing Interstate bridges – one in Midtown at 10th Street and one in Downtown at Courtland Street/Ralph McGill Boulevard.
Additional information about the competition and details defining the design parameters are available on the competition’s website at www.AtlantaBridgescapeCompetition.com. Submissions for the Atlanta Bridgescape Competition will be accepted beginning January 13th, 2015 through the competition’s website. All submissions are due by March 3rd, 2015.
The Atlanta Bridgescape Competition will be conducted in collaboration with the Architecture and Design Center and will coincide with the 2015 National Convention of the American Institute of Architects, held in Atlanta, May 14th – 16th, 2015, where winning entries, one for each bridge, will be announced. Each winning team will be awarded $8,000. This competition is of special significance as it is the 20th Anniversary of the “Legacy Project” for the Atlanta Chapter of The American Institute of Architects (AIA ATL). The Legacy Project began here in Atlanta in 1995 and has been a tradition of each national convention since that time. A Student Bridgescape Legacy Charrette will also be conducted during this convention. The keynote address of the convention will be given by President Bill Clinton, Founder of the Clinton Foundation, and 42nd President of the United States.
“This Bridgescape design competition allows us to tap into the best design talent and create a highly visible and lasting legacy for our City,” said Kevin Green, CEO and president of Midtown Alliance. “We believe it will be a model for subsequent phases of work that will enhance the Connector.”
The Competition is a part of the overall I-75/85 Connector Transformation Project that was initiated to enhance the visual appearance of the Connector, to create a positive economic impact for the City and to improve the experience of pedestrians and motorists who travel along the roadway each day. The project seeks to develop innovative approaches that go beyond beautification to address multiple issues like connectivity, pedestrian and bicycle mobility, and sustainability.
Initial work related to the Connector Transformation Project identified the implementation of enhancements to gateway bridges crossing over the Connector as priority projects. The Connector Transformation Project has already resulted in planned improvements to two Peachtree Street bridges that cross I-75/85 – one in Midtown and one in Downtown with construction bidding process underway and construction projected to begin in 2015. The Bridgescape Competition is the next unique stage in the Connector Transformation Project, and seeks a broad range of design talent to investigate the two existing bridges along the Atlanta Connector.
“We are pleased to announce the Atlanta Bridgescape Competition as the next iteration of the Connector Transformation Project,” said AJ Robinson, CAP President. “We are very excited to see what the creative minds of the design world can imagine for the second phase of the gateway bridge enhancements.”
For more information about the Atlanta Bridgescape Competition, visit www.AtlantaBridgescapeCompetition.com.