Landscape Architecture Students Design Cannery Row

Example of Student Enrique Guzman's Cannery Row Project

Landscape architecture students in LA 402, the Design Theory and Exploration Focus Studio taught by Assistant Professor David Watts over the summer, had an opportunity to create their own visualization of a public park located at 500 Cannery Row. The property is a chained-off area currently hosting old cement fish-holding tanks and a decaying infrastructure. The area has been approved by the city for a multi-use development for many years.

Fourteen 3rd and 4th year students presented on August 16 to community residents and Monterey City officials at the Hilltop Recreation Center in Monterey. The various concepts featured structures such as a visitor center for diving gear rentals, amphitheatres, sculptures, and an underwater aquarium.

Go to the Landscape Architectire Department article.
Read the Monterey County Weekly article.
To see student designs and photos of the presentation, click here.

Student Anthony Webster's Cannery Row Project

Anthony Webster's Project

500 Cannery Row is located on the rocky shores of beautiful Monterey.  This site is the last piece of undeveloped property along the historic Cannery Row, a long stretch of oceanfront that is defined by its fishing industry and industrial past.  The site is a remnant of its past life as both a fishing cannery and art gallery, with some features standing and others in disrepair. Much of the raw material on site are eroded building materials such as concrete and brick and have essentially become natural habitat for the wildlife present.

After developing the concept of mirroring the forms of the coast, wave shapes were chosen to express these ideas and tie the site to the surrounding context. The historic Stohan’s Gallery is to be re-opened and serve as a museum to the fishing history of Cannery Row. The fishing hopper is to be restored to presentable condition and the concrete fish pools re-purposed into reflection pools and planter beds, with informational signs explaining their historic significance. A fishing area was included to provide space for local fisherman. The site was also terraced down to provide a series of views as well and public access to the sandy beach. 

All plantings on site are to be native or contextually appropriate and low maintenance to reduce costs. A water runoff system was placed on the terraces to capture water runoff and naturally filtrate it back into the soil. Amenities are to be added to aid fisherman in recreational activities. The hopper landing above the water is to be kept intact, as well as several naturally re-purposed concrete tide pools, which will be included in the rocky shore area.

Alex Kidwell Presenting a Cannery Row Project in Monterey.Alix Kidwell's Project

My overall concept for designing 500 Cannery Row was sparked on our first visit for a site analysis. Walking along the caged fencing I was instantly captivated by the scatter of industrial remnants cast before the natural Monterey coastline. I wanted to create a design that would reuse most of the existing material on the site (rubble, foundations, decomposing buildings, etc.) and evolve what is now considered an eyesore into a more sublime experience. I found these remnants to be a large part of Cannery Row's industrial and social history and, by enhancing those aspects on the site, it would provide a touch of nostalgia to the overall environment. The design also aimed to expand Stohan's Gallery into a gallery cafe by surrounding the building with an outdoor art gallery and lounge using the remaining concrete fish tanks as a way to frame art pieces and guide visitors through the site. Integrating a number of social gathering spaces including bonfire pits, a playground, picnic areas, an anti-memorial, and a meandering pier, I dreamed of providing Cannery Row with a place for art, history, and culture to thrive beyond the current “tourist driven consumer mecca” that exists today.

Student Ashley Marquez's Cannery Row ProjectAshley Marquez's Project

The design of Discovery Park reflects the lively community of Monterey, Calif. by providing a welcoming transition into the sparkling space of Cannery Row. It represents meaningful city investment and is a positive contribution to open space, ecological awareness, local tourism, and economic and community development of the city.  It also infuses the space with the essence of openness, understanding, and connectivity to the significant history of Cannery Row through the use of educative, restorative, and natural design methods that enlightens visitors of all kinds.

Discovery Park features a seamless topographic connection to the Monterey Bay and the Monterey Peninsula Recreational Trail that welcomes all visitors into the space. On the South West lot, children and families can enjoy Nature's Playscape that includes tumble mounds, large boulders for climbing, tree stompers, tree trunk collections, log council rings, sand pockets, and a hedge maze. Near the waterfront, a relaxed and reflective space is created by preserving historical elements such as Stohan's Gallery, the fish hopper and fish tank, and the Tevis-Murray Greens, as well as adding an antimemorial for fisherman's wives. Picnicker's Point also provides a place to gather or gaze at the beautiful Monterey Bay and bask in serenity and sunshine. Ultimately, Discovery Park will give the shoreline back to the public to enjoy and create long-lasting memories to cherish and share.

 

 

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