Woonasquatucket - “where the salt water ends.”
Over time, the landscape of downtown Providence has drastically changed from what it once was, a Native gathering ground for the Algonquin tribes. In response to the fast paced life of the city with ever encroaching man made structures upon the Woonasquatucket River, Canal Walk aims to preserve and call attention to the natural world, offering occupants a different perspective of the city.
One of the key ways Canal Walk contrasts itself from the normalities of city life is by offering occupants rest and reprieve. While cars and buses whistle by on nearby roads, amphitheater style seating arrangements offer users a chance to catch their breath and take in their surroundings.
To highlight the natural beauty within the city, Canal Walk plays on the natural phenomenon of the tide, bringing us humans closer to our natural neighbors through the built environment. Further allowing users a chance to slow down their normal pace of life and play, tidal pools are situated along the water's edge, revealing whole ecosystems of life. The architecture of Canal Walk is in direct response to the changing tides as more or less of the pathway can be accessed at varying moments.
