Located below the Ganymede Dam, the Riverwalk is a collection of public spaces and buildings, providing outdoor recreation, quiet areas, and space for public art displays. Designed to remind of Works Progress Administration (WPA) projects during the Great Depression, the Riverwalk and its buildings are my interpretation of what those projects would look like with some 21st century retrofitting. Public spaces should not include just buildings for public use, but must also fit with the environment. Landscaping is crucial to any public space, and the topography must always be considered (terraforming for the Riverwalk has been kept to a minimum).

Riverwalk, starting with a sheer cliff below the Ganymede Dam, meanders down to the river, where a series of decks and walks follows the gentle curve of the lazy waters. The original structure, the Cliffhouse, located downriver from the dam, provides artist space, quiet conversation areas, and views of the fireworks display from its many levels. Built entirely using stone and wood native to the area, the Cliffhouse has been updated, structurally and visually, from its original WPA roots.

Above the river, the Vistas provides scenic overlooks of the entire area, with cozy private areas for a romantic getaway, a bandstand/arbor for jamming with friends or just listening to the sounds of musicians playing the nights away, a maze built from the foundation of some long-forgotten structure, and grassy slopes for lawn games or a hot air balloon excursion.

Following the river's curving banks, a series of decks of stone and wood provide space for artists to display their works. A pavilion and amphitheater have been preserved for use by poets to share their prose and musicians to fill the air with their melodious sounds. The fireworks display can be viewed nightly from many vantage points along the waterfront. To the west of the Promenade, the Park in Io provides wandering paths, revealing hidden sculptures among the many native plants.

The Promenade culminates in a powerfully curved stone deck. Across the river, one can continue on to the Riverwalk Community Center, where graceful copper arches and a copper pyramid crown the building. Ample, multi-level decks provide space for whatever activity the Center is hosting, and an outdoor classroom offers SL residents a chance to expand their real, or virtual, world skills.

Location - Second Life, PeteWyrm Thereian, Ganymede 25,228

raydragon_sl-riverwalk.doc