AVRP Skyport Studios is extremely pleased that last week the San Diego Board of Port Commissioners adopted a resolution to select the Seaport San Diego development team, officially concluding the Request for Proposals process. Approved because of its world-class design, Seaport San Diego is envisioned to be more than a set of buildings; it will be a new district of downtown, and connected experiences will maintain and develop cohesion, vitality, and public good.
Seaport San Diego’s 70-acre, 2.2 million-square-foot design includes a mix of hotels, shops, restaurants, a public beach, an aquarium, an educational facility, a Smithsonian Media attraction, and a 480-foot observation tower. AVRP Skyport Studios’ plan for the $1.2 billion project is led by Principal Randy Robbins, AIA, LEED AP, working with Principal and design leader Frank Wolden leading the dynamic weaving of City to Bay, and Principal Doug Austin, FAIA as an integral contributor in the design process.
Collaborating on the project to date includes: Vaughn Davies, ISAA, known internationally for precedent-setting and large-scale waterfront projects. For Seaport San Diego, he has been working with the team in the planning of the waterfront and public spaces. BIG (Bjarke Ingels Group) has provided design for Seaport San Diego’s iconic aquarium. BIG is a Copenhagen and New York-based group of designers dominating the architectural scene from Denmark to New York City. Also, internationally-renowned lighting artist Peter Fink, who won the international competition to transform the Coronado Bridge into a light sculpture using renewable energy, has been working with the team to develop special artistic lighting for Seaport San Diego.
Frank Wolden, Principal at AVRP Skyport Studios, says, “Seaport San Diego provides an amazing opportunity to link our city’s greatest assets. As Seaport lives up to its ultimate goal, it will be 70 acres that knits together the Bay, the City, the air, Coronado Bridge, and the Midway Museum into incredible experiences.”
About AVRP Skyport Studios
In a world of “decorated boxes” and formula design, AVRP Skyport Studios strives to find and develop an original idea that drives the creative process for each project. The firm is led by Principals Douglas H. Austin, FAIA; Christopher T. Veum, AAIA, IIDA; Randy Robbins, AIA, LEED AP; and Frank Wolden. Celebrating 40 years of creativity and accomplishment in 2016, the firm and its principals have earned nearly 150 design awards. For more information, visit www.avrpstudios.com.
