The 11th Street Bridge Park puts in place a new crossing, one that establishes new connections across and to the Anacostia River and to the burgeoning and socially/culturally rich neighborhoods along its banks. THE CROSSING is a new place of convergence and congregation, an incubator for social, community and civic life—a model for building healthy bodies, healthy neighborhoods, and a healthy river environment.

The bridge park serves two seemingly competing goals: create a new regional destination for all of Washington that attracts people from across the city; and create a place for the playing out of everyday life, from walking, running, fishing, and strolling, to hanging out, cuddling with a friend or lover, or grabbing a coffee on the way to work.  As a river park, the project creates new river spaces—boating docks, fishing piers, boardwalks, and cleansing river wetlands along its banks, with hillsides and amphitheaters and orchards oriented to it. On the bridge span itself, river "windows" and activity spaces that step down below the bridge park surface (the small amphitheater, and the café lookout) offer unique perspectives on the river, integrating it better into the routine experiences of those who pass across the bridge or visit it.

At the same time, the café, the river plaza, the environmental education center, the climbing wall/play space, the art plazas, the amphitheaters, and the urban orchards all offer distinctly civic activities and experiences in the heart of the city. Overlooks, lookouts, the café roof and lawn slope create distinct moments to take in the unparalleled views of the lower Anacostia and the spectacular cityscapes around it.

Plug-n-play plazas and amphitheaters are outfitted with water and power hookups in order to support a wide array of activities, including performances, farmer's markets, sculpture installations, and the like. They can be used individually or collectively—even expanding to take over the adjacent 11th Street Bridge once or twice a year to host new music or arts festivals. Enclosures are easily transformable, in order to host classes, lectures, special events, and maker spaces that attract people from far and wide. Safe and attractive walking, running, and biking paths; lawns and integrated seating; play elements; lush hanging gardens; a café terrace; and orchard slopes all offer unique settings for doing the things that people just do—relaxing, enjoying each other's company, meeting a new friend.

client

Building Bridges Across
the River

location

Washington, DC

TEAM

Stoss
Höweler + Yoon Architecture
Robert Silman Associates
Marshall Moya Design
DLW, LLC
Ann Forsyth
ETM Associates
George Sexton ASsociates
NelsonNygaard
Nitsch Engineering
LimnoTech
Setty + Associates