ST. PETERSBURG — The St. Petersburg City Council has approved a pier design dubbed “The Lens” as a replacement for the inverted pyramid that has been a symbol of the city for nearly 40 years.
The vote was 7-1. Wengay Newton, Co-Chair of the Budget, Finance and Taxation Committee, cast the lone no vote. Newton was elected in November 2007 and re-elected in 2011. His term expires Jan. 2, 2016.
“The Lens" was submitted to the St. Petersburg Pier International Design Competition by the Los Angeles firm of Michael Maltzan in collaboration with the landscape architects at Tom Leader Studio, based in Berkeley.
It was one of three proposals reviewed by an independent jury of three architects and two elected officials. The jury unanimously selected Maltzan's proposal. The other two competing firms were Bjarke Ingels Group (BIG) and West 8, Urban Design and Landscape Architecture, both of New York City.
Maltzan had described his vision for the new pier this way: “The Lens is a new icon for the City of St. Petersburg, reframing the relationship between the City and the Bay.”
Details of his proposal are available online in PDF format.
Information about the St. Petersburg Pier International Design Competition can be found at the city’s website. Information about the current Pier and its various offerings can also be found online.
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