A dramatic new park planned at the convergence of the San Antonio River and San Pedro Creek on San Antonio's Southside intends to be more than just a pretty place to kick back. AD100 firm Lake|Flato Architects, the digitally driven design studio Matsys, and landscape architecture office Rialto Studio have designed the park with sustainability in mind, envisioning a destination for students to learn about environmental science.
The centerpiece of the future Confluence Park (which will be managed by the San Antonio River Foundation), is an open-air pavilion formed by a series of connected parabolic arches. With an undulating roof, the structure is designed to collect rainwater for irrigation while creating shelter and shade for visitors underneath. “It’s going to be a really fun place to be in a rainstorm,” says Lake|Flato project architect Tenna Florian. “All the water washes into these funnels, so you can just stand there and experience the water coming down.”
A series of smaller, similarly shaped pavilions offers additional gathering places across the 3.5-acre site, and a multipurpose classroom and meeting building keeps a low profile under a green roof that makes the structure appear as if it’s growing out of the earth. A photovoltaic array will provide 100 percent of the park’s energy. “It’s telling the story of water, but it also speaks to native landscapes and energy use,” says Florian. A fundraising campaign with a target of $10 million is well under way. Groundbreaking is planned for this November, with completion in early 2016.
For more information, visit sariverfoundationrg
