UPD: the winner of the competition was the Field Operations team and nArchitects.
The pier, more than 1 km long, was built in 1914-1916 as a berth for cargo and passenger ships, but immediately began to be used as a public space with entertainment facilities. Over time, it developed into a purely recreational facility with theaters, museums, attractions, cafes and restaurants; its last reconstruction was carried out in 1994-1995.
The now planned restructuring, the most fundamental of all, is timed to coincide with the 100th anniversary of the Naval Pier. Its goal is to update the appearance of this building, which now does not correspond to the role of an important public space for residents and visitors of the third largest US metropolis. Also, the organizers are planning some kind of "gentrification" of the building, in particular, the replacement of fairly cheap cafes with trendy restaurants.
Among the five finalists of the competition are the AECOM and BIG team, who are going to arrange a new landscape there with wooden and green ramps and "amphitheaters".
Aedas and Martha Schwartz plan to add a series of intersecting bridges to the pier for walking, mooring boats or swimming.
Bureau! Melk and HOK are also proposing to expand the pier on the sides with moorings, a new embankment and even low buildings; in addition, they have invented the green zone of the "swamp". It is also planned to plant greenery on the pier itself and arrange a fountain there, which in winter turns into an ice pillar.
The Field Operations, nArchitects and Bruce Mau option includes planting trees and tall grass, wooden stands and swimming pools that descend into the water.
Xavier Vendrell and Nicholas Grimshaw's workshop are very careful about changing the look of the pier, adding only a large conservatory and wooden steps leading to the water.
