STIMSON served as lead designer for the Government Hill area of the 1371 acre Forest Park in St. Louis, Missouri. The project challenge was to create a contemporary signature landscape that engaged the existing historic World’s Fair Pavilion at the top of Government Hill. The program included large open spaces for events and festivals, ADA accessibility, preservation of park woodland gardens and a new fountain.

A gentle 5% sloped path passes through a series of sloped berms to connect flat lawn terraces. To accentuate the landforms, some berms are planted with flowering perennials or groundcovers to create planes of color on the hillside. At the middle terrace of the hill an oval fountain pool animated with water jets recreates the spectacle and festive air of an old fountain which needed to be replaced, involving a limestone slab cascade and a lower wading pool.

Collaborators
HOK Planning Group
SOM
Arbolope Studio

Photography
Peter Wilson