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Visionary “Lens” Wins St Petersberg’s Pier Competition

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A network of looping walkways and sweeping bridges will soon add a sweeping landmark off the waterfront of St. Petersburg in Florida.

The winning entry creates circles of new “land” out to sea that can be experienced by moving around, in and under the futuristic swooping shape, all while being above the water.

“The Lens” designed by Los Angeles firm Michael Maltzan Architecture with landscape architects Tom Leader Studio, has been selected as the winner of an international competition to redesign the St. Petersburg Pier.

Echoing the vast dome of Florida’s eternal blue skies, the wide sweeping shape outlines an enticing new outdoor play area out of the water.

The proposed design is destined to become an iconic and essential part of the fabric of the city, providing an escape out to sea for residents, and a destination for tourists.

“The new Pier is not an icon unto itself”, say the architects. “It is instead a lens that frames the City’s relationship to the water, changing how St. Petersburg views its present and its future.”