Brown University's Jewelry District

Richmond Street, Providence, RI, United States

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Brown University's Jewelry District

Richmond Street, Providence, RI, United States

Firm

!melk

Type

Educational › University

YEAR

2012

The removal of I-95 and the subsequent availability of well-located open space in the Jewelry District presented a welcome opportunity for Brown University to leverage its new Medical School Building with a newly developed community of research buildings, university facilities and amenities. The expansion of the University into the Jewelry District differs from the main University Campus as the University now finds itself in the middle of a more urban setting. This creates an important role for Brown to be one of the driving forces in establishing a new urban destination with school buildings and facilities, as well as a diverse new mix of uses and activities. This new area in the Jewelry District has exciting potential as a new urban destination in Providence, and Ship Street Square will become a new center in the Jewelry District with a strong and unique identity and sense of place that is new and modern, while at the same time places the area in an historic perspective. The plan promotes a European typology where both pedestrian and traffic areas share the same materials and can feel more contiguous. For Brown University, !melk proposed and created a multi-phase Master Plan and streetscape design, giving identity and new character to the City of Providence’s Jewelry District. At its core, a wooden plaza named “Ship Street Square” creates a main public space for gathering and activity; a campus “living room” as well as a new central square hosting a varietal place for outdoor functions.