INTRO

Most amenities, restaurants, and landmarks of downtown St Paul are concentrated on the West, leaving the East deprived of activities. Jackson Fort Site, located at the heart of the East, has a lot of important tasks to fulfill. It must become the East Gateway to downtown St Paul. It must activate and invigorate the neighborhood, becoming a destination node for residents and visitors alike. It must become a major point of interest with enough pull to create foot traffic between the East and the West, activating the core of downtown St Paul.

OLDTOWN

The building has three major programmatic elements. Located on the Street and Skyway levels is Oldtown. The two remaining on-site historic buildings are preserved and used as a scale template to create a dense and vibrant urban fabric for small businesses, art lofts, and community-oriented services: daycare, after-school activities, cafes, convenience stores, art classes, gyms, etc.

The combination of both interior and exterior streets keep Oldtown active year-round. Oldtown also extends the St. Paul skyway network and connects the nearby residential buildings, offices, and hotels.

NATURE DOME

On top of the Oldtown is the Nature Dome. The sun-filled “bowl” becomes the space to spectate nature. It contains an urban farm, an indoor park, and an aviary. The elevated catwalk allows the views of St. Paul Cathedral, the Capitol, Downtown Core, and East Entry. The dramatic angular shapes of the “concourses” act as exhibit space, library/coworking area, and music hall. The “field” of the stadium is open to below, letting sunlight and nature into the Oldtown.

CONVERGENCE

The building becomes a place of convergence of interior and exterior streets, old and new urban fabric, residents and visitors, people, and nature. With so many strings coming together, the building becomes a hub of inspiration and ideas to enrich the whole of Downtown St Paul.