Ihtoli-maqahamok – Waterfront Plaza & Harbour Passage Extension

Formerly known as Loyalist Plaza at Market Square, the 1978 revitalization project was beyond its life cycle and no longer met the needs of the public. With the removal of the adjacent Coast Guard facility, the time was right to re-establish the public connection to the waterfront. Raising the seawall in response to climate change, extending Harbour Passage the City’s signature ‘Cranberry Waterfront Trail’ (also designed by Glenn Group), and the fulfilment of residential/commercial towers on the waterfront with the Fundy Quay development (also designed by Glenn Group).

“Ihtoli-maqahamok – The Gathering Space” is the beating heart of the City of Saint John. Set for opening in May 2024, Glenn Group’s design for The Gathering Space at Market Slip began in 2022 and built upon many years of community consultation, collaborative design and visioning sessions led by our team. Glenn Group’s expertise lies in synthesizing complex histories and ideas into built designs with strong thematic elements that resonate with the people and places where they are situated. Drawing inspiration from the rich heritage and cultural significance of the waterfront, our approach stresses authenticity, functionality, and environmental sustainability. “Ihtoli-maqahamok – The Gathering Space” epitomizes this approach.

Consultation with the community, city and local businesses and stakeholders helped our team determine key functional requirements for the design: safety, accessibility, water access, diverse programming, placemaking and interpretation features, and seasonal interest and activities. The completed design includes a new performance stage and venue, public restrooms, four-season enclosed patios, a chiller and an ice-skating oval, programmed water jets tidal pool feature, a multi-use waterfront trail, and dramatic water access. The branded “Tidal Steps” span a remarkable 5 meters of elevation, providing public access to the water via granite staircases and amphitheatre seating, allowing the opportunity for floating or “ocean-floor” performances and a framed view of the Market Slip and port’s rising tides. The Tidal Steps are a central placemaking feature constructed to contend with the world’s most extreme tides and include integrated interpretation such as etched tide markers making legible the unique phenomenon of the place.

Through extensive research into the history of the site and the city that was built around it, our team recognized that the physical geography of Saint John embodies the rich and resilient spirit of its residents. Our design principles were grounded in the three Foundations of the City:

• The Water
• The Rocks
• The People

The hardy nature of Saint John, forged amidst rocky landscapes for over two centuries, is embodied in the design as a historic gathering place that celebrates the meeting of people and landscape. The site’s material selection reflects the rugged coastal conditions of the confluence of the Saint John/Wolastoq River and the Bay of Fundy. The site layout reflects this geologic history using landscape “islands” as impressions of the Fundy Isles, demonstrating how the flowing of fresh and salt-water have shaped the landscape of the city. By re-using materials like granite cobbles, building blocks, and fragments from demolished landmarks in the city – remnants of Saint John’s past – the site now bridges the gap between history and modernity.

The site reflects the landing point of the Loyalists, the economic hub of the 18th and 19th Century shipping trades, and a gathering and trade hub for Mi’kmaq, Wolastoqey, and Passamaquoddy people. Signature features echo this history, such as “The Prow”, a fun and interactive sculptural element that is shaped and sloped like the prow of a ship. Brightly coloured pillars pierce through the deck: the many masts of boats in the harbour during the tall shipping era, with interpretive graphics of the history of harbour shipwrecks hidden under the hull, creating a playful reflection on the sea-faring traditions of the city. A dynamic and integrated interpretive strategy creates educational and engaging features and content across the site.

The flexibility of the design and its features are critical to the success of the space: sun-loungers, amphitheatre seating, and interpretive features can double as small performance nodes, opportunities for art display, or temporary installations, the ice rink serves as a beer garden and pop-up market venue outside the cold season, and designated vendors zones facilitate diverse commercial opportunities and future expansion. By seamlessly blending historic elements with contemporary needs, we create spaces that serve as catalysts for urban revitalization and community engagement.

Thoughtful and collaborative processes allow our design to reconnect the site with the city, bringing people to the water, and providing access to the stories buried under our feet. “Ihtoli-maqahamok – The Gathering Space” serves as a testament to Saint John’s enduring character, where community and landscape converge in harmony, honoring the past while embracing the future.