The Imperial Beach Pier Plaza & Safety Center is a beachfront civic project for the San Diego Unified Port District and the City of Imperial Beach. Spanning a 3-acre site at the foot of Imperial Beach Pier, the project features a public park with a children’s play area, a public performance stage, improved beach access, protective concrete sea walls, picnic areas and public art installations.
Two buildings frame the park: a comfort station with retail space and public restrooms and the City Safety Services Department, which functions as an Emergency Operations Center in the event of a local disaster. This 6,800sf city building includes a large community meeting room with adjacent elevated terraces offering ocean views, and a lifeguard observation tower. A key design challenge was integrating these structures into the small scale, residential fabric of the surrounding neighborhood and maintain the small beach town character.
The comfort station features projecting roof and columns that create a shaded walkway, extending the pier’s promenade to the street. Both buildings are designed to blur the boundaries between indoor and outdoor spaces. Large, full-height glass windows allow maximum daylight to fill the interiors, while natural materials used on the exterior extend into the interior of the buildings. The architectural character has a civic quality yet uniquely interprets the forms and images of small town, coastal Southern California.
Honor Award, American Institute of Architects San Diego, 2000
Honorable Mention for Outstanding Planning, American Planning Association, 2000
Award of Excellence, American Society of Civil Engineers, 1999
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