Buffalo is a city divided by strands of impenetrable road and rail infrastructure that create a sense of separation between adjacent neighborhoods and isolate them from an inspiring waterfront context. Named one of the winning entries in an international design competition, The Loop Line suggests that a pre-existing infrastructural barrier can act as a linear urban organizer, catalyzing new relationships between bifurcated precincts and creating opportunities for visitors to make new connections within the city’s rich tapestry of culture, history, and nature.
The Loop Line is designed as a year-round, multi-use recreational circuit where visitors can experience unparalleled views of downtown and the Buffalo river against the backdrop of the city’s heroic 20th century infrastructure. The park is punctuated by intermittent iconic architectural waypoints that offer visitor amenities, immersive exhibitions, and organize park services.
At an urban scale, the proposal suggests that the vitality and utility of the new elevated rail park is inextricably linked to an idea of claiming a continuous circuit of public space along the Buffalo River, establishing an ecological cul-de-sac to the Niagara Greenway that bends back to reconnect to downtown.
Location: Buffalo, NY
Status: International Design Competition 3rd Prize Winner
Team: Kerry O’Connor
