Design, Visualization & Photography
Design, Visualization & Photography
For the first time in history, New Westminster is celebrating access to their riverfront which historically was heavy industrial. The new park directly accesses the downtown, revitalizing the urban core and the waterfront.
The New Westminster Pier Park presents an opportunity for the community to reclaim its downtown waterfront as park and public spaces. PWL’s design embraces New Westminster’s rich heritage while addressing key urban design issues, such as connecting this former industrial site to the community, integrating a future civic centre and other development sites, and creating rich active open spaces.
Designer: PWL Partnership
Location: New Westminster, BC, Canada
Year: 2018
Text is adapted from PWL Partnership, City of New Westminster and World Landscape Architecture.
The design for this 3.8 hectare site on the Fraser River incorporates remnant piers, boardwalks and naturalized planting to activate the waterfront and carry the energy and excitement of this open space to Sapperton Landing, New Westminster Quay, and the downtown core.
The Westminster Pier Park connects visitors to the mighty Fraser River and when combined with the Waterfront Esplanade Boardwalk creates a magnificent 2.5 km linear waterfront park.
The Westminster Pier Park amenities include: a 600 meter water front boardwalk, festival lawn, concession, elevated viewpoints, grass, trees, gardens, benches, accessible picnic tables, two sand volleyball courts, a basketball court, public art, misters (spray park water feature) and two preschool aged playgrounds.
The removal of 3,600 tonnes of contaminated soil and the use of piers instead of fill in the river contributed to the restoration of the site’s damaged ecology.
The introduction of new habitats provides biodiversity for the riparian foreshore and river ecology with the goal of increasing fish and wildlife habitat.
Westminster Pier Park has a number of public art feature including Community on the River: The Place Where People Meet, which describes the history of Lytton Square and 87 fascinating milestones in New Westminster's rich history.
The park also features a Memory Band highlighting people, places and businesses significant to the History of New Westminster.
The character of the park reflects the historic industrial waterfront by incorporating long timber piers and piles, heavy timber structures, and timber and metal furnishings.