The Lake Monona Waterfront Design Challenge held its final presentations Thursday at the Madison Public Library, where three design teams offered plans to redesign the Lake Monona Waterfront between Olin Park and Williamson Street.
The teams examined the design criteria for shoreline development while considering water quality, shoreline erosion and structures, and fish habitat, according to the design challenge website.
Friends of Nolen Waterfront supports the City of Madison and many other partners in developing a plan for the Lake Monona Waterfront project.
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The Design Challenge Kick-Off held in October introduced the three teams and their ideas for the master plan. In November, the teams presented a teaser of their initial thoughts at the Design Challenge Check-In. The teams then prepared their designs to be unveiled on Jan. 26, according to the City of Madison design challenge website.
The three finalists in the design competition — Agency Landscape + Planning of Cambridge, Massachusetts, James Corner Field Operations of New York, and Sasaki of Denver — proposed themes of ecological restoration of the lake edge and aesthetic at the event.
Agency Landscape and Planning’s ‘Reviving Lake Monona,’ primarily focused on the need for open space in the neighborhood while limiting local displacement. Their plan included etchings, plant communities, art displays and a heavy focus on highlighting the lushness of the waterfront to engage visitors at the lakefront. They also considered pedestrian accessibility to the waterfront, embedding the necessary modifications in their design.
The team from James Corner Field Operations was supported by University of Wisconsin limnology professor Hilary Dugan. The team emphasized accessibility for all — bikers, strollers and walkers on the boardwalk. A lot of open space was proposed to be left to wildlife to bring a sense of engagement with nature.
“Lakes define the essence of Madison, and we imagine a network of parks weaving together the urban fabric at the waterfront,” James Corner president, Sarah Weidner said during the presentation.
Sasaki proposed a series of underpasses and overpasses to provide many ways to access the street while ensuring a waterfront full of greenery.
The Lake Monona design challenge is hosting a survey for the public to decide which plan they like the most, which will close March 23.
