Lower Venice Island
master plan & site design | philadelphia, pa
Lower Venice Island is a five-acre island located between the Schuylkill River and the Manayunk Canal in Philadelphia. The Philadelphia Water Department (PWD) had designated the site for a three million gallon combined sewer overflow tank, while the community saw the space as valuable recreational resource. The master plan provides a high-performance landscape that is focused on the sustainable management and display of water within the urban environment. Central to the site design is a 300-seat performing art center elevated seven feet above the floodway that covers much of the Island. A central spine located safely beyond the floodway manages lighting, stormwater flow and pedestrian traffic along the Island. Complementing the structured, active landscape is a program of passive landscapes that include a children’s water garden and a riverbank restoration.
collaborators:
Manayunk Development Corporation
Philadelphia Water Department (PWD)
