Stamfords Mill River Park has yet to leave the drawing board, but its already winning awards. The design for the parks Porch canopy received a 2010 Design Award from the Connecticut Chapter of the American Institute of Architects. The award was for the Unbuilt Design category.
What [the award] means to us is that weve reached a goal, which is for all the architecture in the park to be art, said Milton Puryear, executive director of the Mill River Collaborative, which is overseeing the park, and attendant greenway, reconstruction project. Puryear has said he hopes for a spring ground breaking.
Gray Organschi Architecture, a New Haven firm, submitted the winning design for the juried competition. The firms vision consists of an overhead canopy running parallel to the riverwalk. Its interwoven pattern is meant to suggest the interconnectedness of the city and the river.
The innovative use of material -- the canopy is fashioned from wood -- and eye-catching visual effect are exactly what MRC wanted for the parks structural elements, said Puryear.
At this stage, were not trying to put sculpture in there, he said, adding that the canopy will complement the parks landscape. We wanted something with an enduring quality that holds your eye. Something that helps you discover new aspects and perspectives, that elevates the experience and gives beauty.
So far, MRC has raised $3 million for the parks renovation. That includes a recent $500,000 grant from the Long Island Sound Futures Fund. That support will be used for ecologically enhancing rain gardens and piping.
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