Location:
Great Miami River - Dayton OH

Project:
The Dayton Riverscape

Scope:
Architectural design of park pavillions, invention stations and fountain spires

Size:
Multi-site

projects» riverscape



Before: An underutilized, under appreciated, underwhelming river levee

After: A branded, dynamic entertainment and recreational venue that attracts people to downtown.

If you want to change perceptions, it never hurts to make a big splash. The world's largest fountain with it's own laser light show is one part of this multi-faceted entertainment destination. Rogero Buckman Architects designed the five fountain spires, made of aluminum tubes and perforated stainless steel, and the pavilions that house; the support spaces, park concessions, restrooms and the laser show control room. Taking a casual walk down the esplanade will bring you to five "invention stations" each commemorating a famous Dayton inventor and their invention. These whimsical, interactive public art pieces serve to keep things interesting, in between activities like ice skating in the winter, or renting paddle boats in the summer for downtown denizens out for a day in the great urban outdoors. Riverscape has created a destination for pre and post game activities for the nearby minor league baseball stadium, a place for busy office workers downtown to come and unwind, and a stop along the way for bikers on the extensive bike path network. Scheduled events and festivals also draw hundreds of thousands of people to a riverbank that was largely unused previously. Building a destination location is satisfying, building a point of public pride is even better. The fireworks and laser show when Riverscape opened brought an estimated 100,000 people downtown. That's changing perceptions by building a modern world.