Role
Co-Design Lead
LA Project Manager
Graphics & Visualization
Cost Estimation
Concept Development
Schematic Design

Originally envisioned as a research park, Cortex Innovation Community quickly developed into a hub for start-up biotechnology companies, urban residences, and street-side shopping in the heart of St. Louis.

A little over two decades ago, a blighted 200-acre industrial district on the southern edge of Midtown St. Louis was populated with abandoned, underutilized buildings reminiscent of many distressed neighborhoods in post-industrial cities. Today, that 200-acre swath of neglected land is now bringing hundreds of organizations together in a vibrant, mixed-use innovation community just four miles west of the downtown core.

The newest addition the the innovation community will be the nine-story, 316,000-sq.-ft office and lab building. The new building fills our the 4200 block and punctuates the pedestrian experiance with a linear pedestrian experienace known as the Gateway Plaza.

The active public space at the heart of the new development creates a substantial public realm and acts as a front door to welcome visitors and the public on the east end of the district. Gateway Plaza design aims to create St. Louis’s healthiest, most connected, and accessible district founded on the site’s legacy of innovation and industry. To accomplish this, the design team incorporated resilient infrastructure, adaptable technology, and access to nature into the overall design. The overall space includes the Grand Stair, a focal point of the eastern edge plaza, complete streets, smaller retail and event spaces, and bespoke interactive amenities, elements, and programming to increase adaptability and the total amount of time spent on site. Together, the hierarchical spatial structure weaves the buildings into a unique and vibrant community, providing a rich identity for this new 21st-century innovation campus.