Lester Park ReVive
Designing a welcoming, vibrant, fun, and creative park in Ogden’s Nine Rails Creative District.
The Challenge
To design a revival of Ogden’s Lester Park to be more active, useful, engaging, and inclusive. The re-design must integrate with existing stakeholders such as the Golden Hours Senior Center and newly renovated Weber County Library.
The Story
In 2016, Ogden City held a design competition to redesign Lester Park. Union Creative partnered with IO Design Collaborative and Industrial Art and Design to create the winning entry in the design competition. Our design weaves a dynamic narrative of history, culture, and ecology. Inspired by a historic diagram of the Ogden rail yard, the design creates a sinuous circulation network connecting varied programmatic elements while maintaining large swaths of green-space. Introduced topography creates a sense of spatial progression, and adds more functionality (play, sledding, and viewing). The bold use of color celebrates Ogden’s cultural diversity, outdoor recreation industry, and arts community. Details like the use of railroad ties as seating, and roundhouse inspired pergola recall the city’s railroad past. Fluid bands of native plant communities complement the existing urban forest adding ecological functionality, a distinct sense of place, and important culture-nature connections.
The competition was hosted by the American Institute of Architects, Utah Chapter in conjunction with the Young Architect’s Forum. Community partners included Ogden City, the Weber County Library, and the Ogden Rotary Club.
Collaborators
Io Design Collaborative | Industrial Art and Design
Juror Accolades
“Their organic design utilizing space in free-flowing zones shows a respect of the block’s occupants as does the wonderfully structured seating area. I was impressed with their concern for the environment and showed that throughout their design.”
-Hikmet Loe
“Robust is one word that describes this proposal. From plantings that would expand habitat for birds and provide a visually rich and varied landscape, and a host of activities that promote health, relaxation, challenges and sensitive attention to the seniors living and socializing in and near the park brought this proposal to the front of the line. With references to the railroads that underpin much of Ogden’s story, energetic murals that reflect values, culture and aspirations, it was clear that the designer’s listened intently to the criteria and community interests. Library events can easily spill into the park, and painterly approach to the overall landscape creates invites people to explore and immerse themselves in a visually rich environment which, by itself, becomes subtle and powerful activity.”
-Stephen A. Goldsmith
