AIAS/Vinyl Institute: Bohemian Flats Boathouse Design Competition

In 2007 two major events took place that changed the Mississippi River Front and surrounding parks of Minneapolis. In June the Washington Boulevard Implementation Committee was formed by Mayor R.T. Rybak. Mayor Rybak along with city planners and local architects devised a long term strategy to revitalize the Washington Avenue corridor (also viewed by main as the “Main Street” of Minneapolis) and convert most of the roadway into a boulevard system. In August the I-35W Bridge over the Mississippi River collapsed. As the main thoroughfare over the Mississippi River, the I-35W Bridge acted as a life line between the East Bank (University of Minnesota Campus) and the West Bank (majority of Downtown Minneapolis). Together these two events brought a lot of attention to a small parcel of land between the two roadways, the Bohemian Flats.

The Bohemian Flats is a historic parcel of land located on the Mississippi River’s west bank south of the I-35W bridge and directly under the Washington Avenue bridge. It was once a populous “shanty town” for European immigrants working in the Minneapolis flour mills. However, since the late 1950’s the site has been an grassy, open park for the city. The site was used to house pieces of the I-35W bridge steel after its collapse and has been a haven in the city from the hustle and bustle of the city overhead on Washington Avenue.

Now two years later a new bridge has been constructed and the Washington Avenue corridor has started to see a resurgence of new buildings and social areas. Thousands of people commute by the small swath of land everyday by foot, bike, car and boat. However there is no formal structure or landmark at the Bohemian Flats to call out to everyone passing by. This competition is seeking a solution to that problem.

By locating a small Park Pavilion and Boathouse at the Bohemian Flats Park, the site will once again become the destination for the city’s residents and visitors. Designs for the competition should plan for a small restaurant, restrooms, information/guest services booth, paddle boat rental area with a dock for 20 paddle boats and other service and facility areas as defined by the program. In addition to the building, landscape planning and additional signage may be implemented within the design.

By utilizing vinyl building products in the design of the new Bohemian Flats Boathouse, designers will be able to ensure the building is not only cost effective, but energy efficient and resistant to the drastic climate changes, among the other benefits offered by vinyl building products. In developing an efficient and creatively designed facility, the boathouse may endure as a landmark on the river front for years to come. Winning designs will be awarded $2500 for first place, $1500 for second place, $750 for third place, or $500 for each honorable mention (3).

For more information on the competition, to download the program or to register you or your team (teams may be up to four students) please visit the competition Web site at http://www.aias.org/vinyl.