JAX PARK: Jacksonville Northbank Lawn + Riverfront Plaza Competition

In 2021 a team led by OLIN was selected as one of three finalists for the Jacksonville Northbank Lawn and Riverfront Plaza Competition. OLIN’s design, JAX PARK, is a celebration of the city, its community, and the river – a park that will inspire thousands to visit, live, and enjoy downtown like never before. The Park is inspired by the ecology of the St. Johns River and features numerous opportunities to play, reconnect with nature, or just relax.

The Grasslands, a kinetic artwork by Ned Kahn, is the focal point of the park providing a vivid and transcendent spectacle of joy and awe. A sense of a new beginning. The individual attractions within the park allow it to be enjoyed both passively and actively. OLIN created several distinct ‘rooms’ each with its own sense of place and identity. All of the ‘rooms’ are interconnected with robust, verdant, and immersive planting. This landscape provides abundant shade, microclimates, and comfort for all-day use throughout the seasons.

JAX PARK is an urban catalyst that will spark economic development and reconnect the communities of the south bank to the north bank of the river – foregrounding the importance of this spectacular urban space – as the new epicenter of Jacksonville. It is a place to reconnect to the river, elevate civil discourse, lounge, go on a date, have a business meeting, attend a concert, grab something to eat, or simply read a book in the shade – a place for everyone.

Location
Jacksonville, FL

Owner
City of Jacksonville, Florida

Status
Competition completed 2021

Key Team Members
Trevor Lee, Partner-in-Charge
Jonathan Franklin, Landscape Designer