San Antonio Voelcker Park Competition

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San Antonio Voelcker Park Competition

Five design teams were invited to develop designs for Voelcker Park, a new 300-acre park north of downtown San Antonio. GGN’s competition entry envisioned a Great Meadow uniting the two halves of the site and creating the opportunity for the entire park to be connected to the Salado Creek Greenway. This larger, united park reconnected the site’s natural drainage patterns improving infiltration of stormwater runoff and reducing erosion. The central water feature interprets the interaction of water and limestone in the local Edwards Aquifer through the processes of catchments, conveyance, recharge, and springs. The water feature runs the length of the Great Meadow creating a central promenade for the park and referencing the rich garden traditions of the many cultures that make up San Antonio. Several green meadows interspersed throughout the park provide settings for picnics and informal sports such as frisbee, soccer, and flag football.

In addition to preserving natural areas, this design included significant cultural elements. Proposed new buildings centered on a courtyard at the park’s western entry would house a café, community rooms, galleries, library, nature center, and park administration.