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Hayden Plaza

Hayden Plaza

The Restoration of a Memorial

Interfacing with public space and communities is more of a personal design ethos and agenda as opposed to an industry norm.  Considering how contentious public space can be, a designer who steps up to the task of designing with the public in mind is often listening to personal calling as opposed to certain industry narratives.   Landscape Architects, in particular, bring a perspective on public space that gives them a slight advantage.  Working at the fusion of urbanism, landscaping, and culture Diane Jones Allen approaches the restoration of a cultural monument with precision and grace.  Using landscaping details to accentuate a cultural site, she not only creates a linear park but uses the existing streets to create key vantage points of the plaza to make the design gestures legible to observers.  The clarity she presents in the site design of Hayden Plaza is seen in the subtleties: the tapering of the greenways, the openness of the monument, and the privacy of the gathering area facing South Rampart St.  One can imagine the experience of walking down the linear plaza and experiencing the different conditions and sightlines of the neighborhood that the plaza affords.

Rendering of Hayden Plaza: Landscape Architects work at the intersection of urbanism and environmental spaces.  Here we see an urban plaza gilded in greenery, transforming Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd into a vibrant point of gathering.

Rendering of Hayden Plaza: Landscape Architects work at the intersection of urbanism and environmental spaces. Here we see an urban plaza gilded in greenery, transforming Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd into a vibrant point of gathering.

Diane Jones Allen

The plaza is located on Martin Luther King Boulevard at the intersection of Oretha Castle Hayley Boulevard.  The design called for the restoration of the existing sculpture design by Frank Hayden, and the re-installation of the sculpture on-site on a new pedestal.  New seating, lighting, and landscape planting features were also included in the proposal.  The historical significance of the site in its dedication as a memorial to Doctor King makes it an important site for not just the neighboring community but New Orleans as a whole.

Frank Hayden's Monument Restored:  The Hayden Plaza stands as a site honoring & celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King.  The restoration and revitalization of the site and the monument was Diane Jones Allen's design challenge & objective.

Frank Hayden's Monument Restored: The Hayden Plaza stands as a site honoring & celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King. The restoration and revitalization of the site and the monument was Diane Jones Allen's design challenge & objective.

Captured by the Embrace: The existing monument by Frank Hayden seen with new landscape features in the background.

Captured by the Embrace: The existing monument by Frank Hayden seen with new landscape features in the background.

Diane Jones Allen

United in Community: Public space is critical to the success of our built environments and often time we imbue meaning into these public spaces by commemorating our community's talents, icons, and resilience.  The role designers play in respecting and enshrining these public spaces is more of a reflection of their own design ethos rather than an industry norm.

United in Community: Public space is critical to the success of our built environments and often time we imbue meaning into these public spaces by commemorating our community's talents, icons, and resilience. The role designers play in respecting and enshrining these public spaces is more of a reflection of their own design ethos rather than an industry norm.

Diane Jones Allen