‘Bioclimatic domes’ eyed on waterfront

West Palm’s waterfront redesign competition has been won by Ecosistema Urbano, with a proposal that includes what could be the first public “bioclimatic domes” in the U.S. adorned with hanging gardens, the Van Alen Institute and the West Palm Beach Community Redevelopment Agency announced Thursday.

The domes create climatically comfortable spaces 365 days a year, thereby supporting a more socially cohesive city, according to the proposal.

Ecosistema Urbano’s design, called Open Shore, answers the Shore to Core competition’s call for a comprehensive, forward-thinking urban plan to make the West Palm Beach’s waterfront a yearround destination for locals and visitors alike, according to a release from Van Alen, which oversaw the competition.

“The proposal also illustrates how the city’s Banyan Garage could be ‘upcycled’ into a mixed-use building with both public- and private-sector roles, featuring adaptive climates suitable for a range of activities, including a farmers market, co-working spaces and skyline viewing platforms. Additional amenities include vibrant thematic alleyways — with such features as a rock climbing wall, interactive exhibition space, and immersive foliage — that harness the cultural values and experiences unique to West Palm Beach, while also providing shade and introducing new elevated programming spaces,” the release said.

The Shore to Core competition invited designers, planners and architects to envision what the waterfront could look like over the next 20 to 30 years, taking population, the economy and the environment into account.

Ecosistema Urbano is scheduled to present the proposal next month to the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency.