This year the Cleveland Design Competition is calling for a re-imagining of the Detroit Superior Bridge – a 19th century bridge rich with history and value to Cleveland’s downtown area and industrial zones. Professional, students, firms and designers are all invited to propose a dynamic public space, performance venue and pedestrian experience along the abandoned lower streetcar level of the bridge. Registration for this competition closes on September 24th. The competition deadline is October 5th. This is an awarded competition for first, second and third prize winners. A free public reception and exhibition will takes place on October 26th to announce the winners. To register, visit the official competition website.
For a brief on the competition, join us after the break.
The competition came about as a result of an initiative called “The Bridge Project”, started by local designers and business leaders. They promoted public awareness of the the potential behind this abandoned space and reached out to the community to engage with the possibilities that it offered for public use. The Cleveland Design Competition has partnered with this initiative to bring the discourse to the forefront of the community and provide the public with compelling solutions of making this space usable and viable. This project seeks out a permanent solution and one that connects the neighborhoods on each of its end, while actively engaging the bridge’s prior uses.
The designs require a comprehensive vision of the lower level, providing different types of connections via bicycle and pedestrian paths. The space should also be adapted for public use as a performance venue. Other neighborhoods have potential to link up to the activities on the bridge and these should be actively considered as well. Entrants are encouraged to consider other programming strategies such as landscaping, installations for artists and musicians, and recreational amenities. Consideration should also be made for how the lower and upper level of the bridge function in relation to one another.
For more information on the competition visit the competition website, which also has a bit more history and background on the Detroit-Superior Bridge.
