Miami Marine Stadium was first opened in the 1960s and only stayed open to the public for 30 years. The main feature, the stadium, was designed by Hilario Candela. It was his first project out of college, and he was praised for his use of precast concrete as the main component of the structural design. Since its closing there were multiple attempts to reimagine the park so the space doesn't go to waste. In the time of its vacancy, many trespassers have used the stadium as a place to sleep and also express themselves through art. In my Spring 2023 architecture studio, my project partner and I were tasked with redesigning the site as a public park, accounting for at least 3 feet of sea level rise and having to change at least one aspect of the stadium . Based on site analysis, our vision for the park was to blend nature, people, and education. We did this by: 1) designing a community center that would house a food bank, 3 classrooms, and an outdoor event space and designating other space for family and friend convening. 2) Providing storm surge protection by digging out an estuary and using the concrete rubble to build a gabion wall, and replanting mangroves which were apart of the natural land protection of Miami's ecosystem. And 3) building a hardwood hammock over the entire site with park signs to help educate visitors about plant species native to Miami's ecosystem. This project was done in collaboration with Katie Burgo.
