Some of St. Louis’ Best Architecture is in Public Parks
The other day I was at a traffic light behind some cars and managed to snap this photo in Tower Grove Park:
This structure, and so many others, throughout the city are one of those things that bring a smile to my face. I generally never stop to appreciate the fine detailing, the quality of the stone or brick work or just the overall pleasing scale. It seems before the advent of many architectural and urban planning theories we managed to build really wonderful spaces.
One day soon I’m going to take 10 minutes out of my day and walk around this building, touch the stone, and simply bask in the beauty it evokes. Weekly I am all over this city so I think taking time to enjoy so much of the beauty we do have will hopefully compensate for so much we’ve lost as well as make up for much of what we are building today. And yes, I am in an exceptionally good mood today…
I was just reading some of your recent posts earlier today and thinking, “He really hasn’t had many pleasant things to say about this city lately.” Then, you go and prove me wrong!
Tower Grove is a great park. We took some wedding photos in the park and so many people comment on how pretty it is
and unique the different bridges/buildings are.
I play kickball there weekly and it is always full of foot traffic and people enjoying the outdoors. A few weeks back I had to laugh when a younger kid came up and asked where the paviliion was – he didn’t know the name or anything, so it was hard to determine which one was his destination. I laughed because there are quite a few, but it really made me appreciate how large the park is and everything it has to offer.
Perhaps it isn’t clear from post to post but I think if you follow what Steve has had to say these last couple of years you would recognize that many of his frustrations with this city are only because he sees the beauty and potential of St. Louis’ built environment that many of us do. Our attitudes all ebb and flow but, knowing Steve very well, I know he would not put such effort and critical thought into something he didn’t have a passion for. He chose to live here as a young adult and nearly 20 years later he chooses to stay here. He sees how it could be better and he speaks up. There certainly is a time for cheer leading but if that’s all we do then we miss important opportunities to substatially improve. I know to some he just sounds critical and jaded, but underneath it all he is an optimist. He believes in the ability of good urban design to positively affect people’s lives — I do too.
It really is one of the most successful large urban parks I’ve seen in the US.
Forest Park is a treasure, but comparing the scale and proportions, TG wins. I just have to go through when I’m in town. I find the view of the pool pavilion from the West on a foggy morning to be particularly stunning.
glad the villas were never built, but if they had been I’d kill to live in one.
Like Curtis said, it’s nice to hear some kind words. TG is the most under appreciatted park in StL. I broke the 20 min mark in the 5k for the first time in TG.
I can’t figure out which TG stone structure it is. South gate lodge, home to South City Open Studio & Gallery for Children? Caretaker’s house?
We also have killer funerary architecture.
TG is wonderfull to walk, esp. in the fall. And, have you had Sunday brunch in the building just north of the pond area? Is it a Shaw building? It’s a great way to have brunch.
The building pictured is at the south entrance off of Arsenal…they hold children’s art classes in it. It is a beautiful building. The brunch is held in the Piper Palm House which was an original part of the maint. shed on the grounds, converted into a reception hall a few years back.
TGP has lost a considerable amount of trees this past year with 2 major storms going thru its heart, I believe it was in excess of 300. There are not enough funds to cover new plantings. Perhaps a few readers here will consider making a donation to TGP for tree replacement?
I have a lot of pictures of that building too …. it’s the South Gate Lodge, and as Maurice noted, it’s home to the South City Open Studio and Gallery, which has art classes for adults and children …. great people.
Our park system is one of the things that shows how visionary the leaders of this city were a century ago, which makes our current situation all the more frustrating.
I don’t know if I would say it was visionary of the city leaders or of the private individual, Henry Shaw, to which much more than just us owe a lot to.
i love everything about tower grove. especially the park. possibly my favorite ‘hood in stl.
I would say Tower Grove Park isnt under appreciated, it just isnt primarily a regional park like Forest Park. Except for festival weekends, theres never a crowd. That is a benefit. It feels like a large neighborhood park shared by a handful of neighborhoods. I think what most people respond to about TGP and its design is basically that its intact from the park’s early days. For that, I thank the fact that TGP by bequest of Henry Shaw isnt under the control of the city parks department, its run by a state appointed board of commissioners. So it didnt suffer as much unsophisticated park management as FP used to, which included things like spraying the streams with herbicide and willy-nilly tree planting. Tower Grove park makes the central south side livable and I dont know what i would do without it.
Ben H : I agree with your sentiment and I won’t go into why – except I really think it’s the long and narrow proportions of its layout. consider: if your’re on foot in Forest or Babler and feel a threat, where do you go? (does anyone remember Sally Lucas?) what makes TG so cool as an urban park is that you know it’s easy to get out of it.
Ellie and I were at the market in TG Saturday, and I was commenting on how well utilized the space is. There are so many people doing so many different activities that it’s great to see. I guess it’s partly that it’s got a more neighborhood park feel, but the short of it is: It’s a great park, and a better example of what can be done, in my opinion, than even Forest Park.
St. Louis definitely has some big parks. Ex-stl makes an interesting point. Maybe if the parks were smaller, they’d be safer? Would it make sense to sell off parts of O’Fallon Park, Fairground Park, Carondelet Park and Wilmore Park? They’d all make great development sites, and we’d be able to get more eyes on the street, or in the park, as it were…
“St. Louis definitely has some big parks. Ex-stl makes an interesting point. Maybe if the parks were smaller, they’d be safer? Would it make sense to sell off parts of O’Fallon Park, Fairground Park, Carondelet Park and Wilmore Park? They’d all make great development sites, and we’d be able to get more eyes on the street, or in the park, as it were… ”
.
i don’t think we need to resort to that yet. there’s plenty of undeveloped, non-park space available for getting more eyes on the street. let’s not be too quick to sell off one of our best assets.
If the city ever tried that, I bet the current neighbors across from the parks wouldn’t be happy. So much for their nice views!