Race Street Pier

Race Street Pier in Philadelphia is a piece of landscape architecture that even enhances the view of its surroundings. (And it offers free wifi.)

Before visiting the Pier, I read a few articles about it and saw the photos of it. Contrary to our commonsense perception of a pier, this one is artificially made hilly. I didn't really understand why.

Arriving at the site and putting the Pier into perspective together with its surroundings, I understand why.

The north side of Race Street Pier soars in parallel with the Benjamin Franklin Bridge.


The south side of the Pier is kept flat in parallel with a disused pier.


If you consider the Pier alone, it may look like just another park under the urban redevelopment scheme. That's wrong. James Corner, a landscape architect of the fame for the High Line in New York, designs the Pier to make it integral to its surroundings and even improves the view of those surroundings. This is incredible.