Located in Providence, Rhode Island, the Roger Williams Park Gateway Center opened in October, 2022 and provides a new urban park, visitor center, and northern entry point into the historic Roger Williams Park. The site marks the midpoint of a cultural corridor that began to form over 60 years ago, transitioning into a diverse and proud Latino community. The design response aims to preserve identity and inclusivity, developing a welcoming gateway for residents and visitors and serving as an economic catalyst along Broad Street. Designed on a formerly vacant site on Broad Street, the park provides ample flexibility for both small and large gatherings, recreational events, nature walks, vendor & food truck parking.



The gateway center is designed to be an extension of the neighborhood, erasing the strong boundary and threshold conditions that currently exist between the park and Broad Street. It pays homage to the vibrant colors of local parades and festivals, draws upon the energetic facades of homes and Latino businesses which line Broad Street. Conceptually the park will always be open, a model of inclusivity for visitors and residents alike, reflecting a commitment to welcoming all people.



Aligning with the City of Providence’s Green Initiative to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050, this net-zero energy project will provide on-site photovoltaic energy production ensuring that no fossil fuels will be used to power the facility or site. The project also employs a passive stormwater management system, easing the burden on the city and mitigating water runoff through native drought tolerant planting and impervious paving. The Visitor Center’s roof stores and releases rainwater. It also collects and stores rooftop runoff on-site for use in the Visitor Center. A Blue Roof reduces the urban heat island effect and provide cooling, reducing energy cost and provide an educational tool.


Monolithic limestone walls of the entry gateway recall the classical design of the Roger Williams Park Temple of Music, and create a thermal mass. This allows the walls to store and release heat, reducing heating demands and temperature fluctuations in the building using a passive solar strategy. The visitor center building houses an information desk, gallery space, restrooms, and an outdoor patio. The gallery is design to be a fully accessible and flexible space which can host events and educational opportunities with easily arranged partitions and furniture.


The iconic gateway design involves large colorful fins fabricated in steel. Fin orientation and form intentionally convey a sense of connectivity and linkage as a singular dynamic gesture towards the adjacent Roger Williams Park property. Parametric design tools furthered an iterative process allowing our team to test and refine the alignment, morphology, and spacing of the fins along the cantilevered superstructure to optimize the final design outcome and respond to the photovoltaic mounting condition.


The project was led by the Providence Redevelopment Agency (PRA) in close partnership with the City of Providence Parks Department, City of Providence Department of Planning and Development, and Roger Williams Park Conservancy.


The project cost was supported by the state-funded Acquisition and Revitalization Program overseen by R.I. Housing and Mortgage Finance Corp., along with financial support from the Providence Redevelopment Agency, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Federal American Rescue Plan Act, said Carol Ventura, executive director of R.I. Housing, a self-supporting public agency created in 1973 to support affordable housing for low- and moderate-income families.

