Location
Des Moines, Iowa
Year
2013
Sizes
Pavilion:
2,200 SF
Pump Station:
3,485 SF
Client
City of Des Moines, Iowa
Project Team
Tim Hickman
Paul Mankins
The intersection of Court Avenue and Water Street is a vital node in downtown Des Moines, IA, activated by competing yet complementary functions. The Court Avenue Bridge crosses the Des Moines River serving as a vital artery between the restaurants and nightlife of Court Avenue and the eclectic East Village. In this location, the Principal Riverwalk’s multi-use trail which runs along the river meets street level, bisecting the flood walls that support the Hub Spot café pavilion and adjacent Pump Station. These structures, in turn, create a visual and physical gateway for both trail users and vehicular traffic.
This wasn’t always the plan, however. The pavilion and pump station were originally conceived to be two separate projects with no coordination between them. Thankfully, the City realized that while these structures serve distinctly different functions they should visually and conceptually unite as a gateway to the Court Avenue Historic District. The north building aimed to function as an inviting public café with panoramic views, while the south building was designated as an essential but inaccessible pump station for flood control.
The buildings are now considered jointly – one open, one closed; one public, one private—that frame an important new public plaza. Substance Architecture worked with internationally recognized artist, Jun Kaneko, and the Greater Des Moines Public Art Foundation to locate site-specific art to further energize this space. This artwork, which includes a series of large-scale ceramic works called Dangos in the pavilion plaza and an internally illuminated glass mural integrated into the pump station, unites the two spaces and enhances the prominent intersection.
A unique aspect of this project was how it celebrated the transformation of the city itself. Standing at the river, one not only sees the previously inaccessible river, but a mix of historic and modern amenities which have helped to revive the riverfront and energize the people of Des Moines. It's not just a pavilion and a pump station; it's a testament to the city's resurgence, a story that isn't always told but is visible to all who visit. Substance is pleased to call Des Moines home and is proud of our contributions towards the resurgence and growth of downtown including the pavilion and pump station, Downtown Bridges Reconstruction, and A Monumental Journey.
The design solution wasn't just to build, but to integrate, elevate, and reconnect. The two buildings share a harmonious material palette and formal language to cohesively frame a new public plaza. Achieving harmony between aesthetics and functional demands posed challenges. The Pump Station’s primary role is flood control, but we wanted it to be more than a utilitarian block. The glass installation, glowing like a beacon, is more than an artistic touch—it's a symbol of the city's resilience. Site-specific artwork by artist Jun Kaneko elevates the designs with a unified architectural composition that anchors both the riverfront and the historic district.
For our firm, every design starts with a question. With the Riverwalk project, the transformative inquiry was simple: "If it's the Riverwalk, shouldn't people see the river?" This sparked the foundational idea of elevating the design, literally and figuratively, ensuring that every visitor can truly experience the river in all its glory.
Key to the Substance approach—and our mutual success—is marrying function with form, history with innovation, and always asking the right questions to design spaces that truly resonate with the community they serve.
Exploded axonometric diagram
Site plan
Mechanical/Electric Engineer (Pavilion)
IMEG (formerly KJWW Engineering)
Structural Consultant (Pavilion and Pump Station)
KPFF (formerly Saul Engineering)
Civil and Structural Engineer (Pump Station)
Veenstra & Kimm Inc. (V&K)
Civil Engineer (Pavilion)
Stanley Consultants
Landscape Architect (Pavilion and Pump Station)
Wallace Roberts & Todd, LLC
Drone Video
Brent Isenberger
General Contractor (Riverwalk)
Cramer and Associates, Inc.
General Contractor (Pump Station)
Larson and Larson
General Contractor (Pavilion)
Covenant Construction Services
2019 Honor Award of Excellence in Craft (Jun Kaneko + Pump Station)
American Institute of Architects - Iowa Chapter
2018 AIA/SPP Small Project Award (Pump Station)
American Institute of Architects - National
2017 Excellence on the Waterfront Award (Pavilion)
The Waterfront Center
2016 Excellence on the Waterfront Award (Pump Station)
The Waterfront Center
2016 Merit Award (Pavilion) , IDEAS2 Awards
American Institute of Steel Construction
2015 Honor Award, Excellence in Design (Pump Station)
Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and Design and The European Centre for Architecture, Art and Design
2015 Honor Award, Excellence in Design (Pump Station)
American Institute of Architects - Central States Region
2014 American Architecture Award (Pavilion)
Chicago Athenaeum Museum of Architecture and The European Centre for Architecture, Art, and Design
2015 Grand Award, Accessory Building/Outdoor Space (Pump Station)
Builder's Choice/Custom Home
2015 Grand Award (Pavilion)
Metal Architecture
2015 National Certificate of Recognition (Pavilion), IDEAS2 Awards
American Institute of Steel Construction
2015 AIA/SPP Small Project Award (Pavilion)
American Institute of Architects - National
2014 Annual Design Review
Architect
2014 Urban Design Merit Award
American Institute of Architects - Central States Region
2014 Excellence in Design (Pump Station)
American Institute of Architects - Iowa Chapter
2013 Merit Award, Commercial Architecture (Pavilion)
American Institute of Architects - Central States Region
2014 Design Award, Light Commercial Building (Pavilion)
Builder's Choice/Custom Home
2014 Design Award, Light Commercial Building (Pavilion)
Residential Architect
2013 Excellence in Design (Pavilion)
American Institute of Architects - Iowa Chapter
2012 Honor Award, Excellence in Unbuilt Projects
American Institute of Architects - Central States Region
Winter 2016 Iowa Architect
November 2015 Modern Steel Construction
September 2015 Builder's Choice/Custom Home
July 2015 Metal Architecture
Spring 2015 Iowa Architect
Winter 2015 Iowa Architect
December 2014 Architect
Winter 2014 Iowa Architect
September 2014 Builder's Choice
May 2014 Residential Architect
Fall 2013 Iowa Architect
Winter 2013 Iowa Architect
10:271 Iowa Architect
08:266 Iowa Architect
July 2013 AAA Living
Mar/Apr 2011 Design Bureau
Photography by Paul Crosby Architectural Photography
