By AIA Wyoming
Location: Casper, WY
Size: 46,787 sq ft (Site), 3,100 sq ft (Building)
Category: Public or Civic
A shared vision of the City, Downtown Development Authority and Old Yellowstone (redevelopment) District as the centerpiece of the downtown revitalization efforts, the project is a year-round outdoor events-driven plaza conceived as a public-private partnership.
Informed by a public charrette, the PROGRAM emphasizes “engaging cultural activities” in a region focused on outdoor activity. At the same time, the visual identity takes into account the connection to place: the local energy industry, the American West, and proximity to abundant natural beauty — combining to create a community hub.
The SOLUTION includes entry gateways arranged to allow approach from all directions and offers glimpses into the plaza from the streets, mediated with treed berms that offer a continuous connection to nature. While the architecture — by its arrangement — defines the exterior spaces and is clad in recognizable traditional regional materials used in not-so-traditional applications.
The plaza grid is reinforced with string-light covered promenades that internalize circulation and provide effortless wayfinding while supplying power for farmers’ market tents and donor recognition plates in the form of an on-going art installation. Two main programmatic areas are mediated by the promenade — performance pavilion with terraced concert lawn on one side and ice rink (in winter) with splash pad (in summer) on the other — whose orientations play upon sun angles and wind for maximum shelter.
The support facility occupies a locale near the center for convenience, while an overlook deck above offers panoramic views and a V.I.P. area for major events. The lower level houses sustainable filtration equipment that allows splash pad water to be recirculated.
The splash pad offers dramatic views of the water spray during the summer, and in the winter, a city holiday tree that occupies the space forms an island within the skating rink that evokes an illusion of skating on a pond. A locally salvaged rock cone crusher provides a hand-warming fire pit, and other serendipitous gathering areas ring the site to enhance connectivity with the outside and encourage social interaction.
A bastion of activity, the project has led to investments of over $50 million in other nearby projects and nearly a half-million visitors per year. It has re-energized a spirit of community, and its strategies have been featured in a documentary.
AIA Wyoming
This story appears in the 2020 Directory of the Wyoming Architecture Magazine.
