Historic Transformation

The City of San Jose’s desire to remake St James Park is part of its improvement plans to attract new development to the downtown area. Originally designated a park in 1885, the 6.8-acre site is the oldest park in the city and is deeply tied to the city’s history. TOPA Architecture partnered with !melk landscape architecture and fr-ee (Fernando Romero Enterprise) to enter the city’s competition for a new design. The design submitted was one of four shortlisted. It creates a series of lawns that resemble petals. The demarcated areas include a magnificent pavilion for community events, a grand lawn, a hill, a playground, and a contemplative lawn. The circulation path around these areas echo a modernized version of the park’s original design.

Relative link:
https://www.mercurynews.com/2016/10/12/how-to-remake-san-joses-st-james-park/

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