The worn-down and weary St. Petersburg, Florida pier is getting a facelift from Michael Maltzan, the architect behind the Hammer Museum and MoMA QNS, who’s turning it into a futuristic, M.C. Escher-like Atlantis titled “The Lens.” Maltzan has won the city's design competition to replace and revitalize the slowly decaying city landmark, a historic site that has undergone many transformations since its first incarnation early last century, now descending into eyesore status. His design is almost a work of aquatic landscape architecture, revitalizing the site (which extends from the land well into the water) in both its recreational and environmental aspects.

His science-fiction fantasy plans of grand, looping pathways  (which appear to extend into Möbius strip infinity), white concrete arches, and interconnected bridges in an enormous figure-eight plan create something like an open, man-made cove. It brings citizens closer to the water than they could get in the past; not only does it offer paths for cyclists, runners, and leisurely meanderers, but it calms the water within it, making a space for kayaking and boating where the water would normally be too rough. 

Powered by clean energy, the structure also has its eye towards sustainability —  the canopy of "The Lens" is embedded with turbines to capture wind energy. Remnants of the old pier will be kept as a starter bed to grow a tidal reef and a charming 2.5-acre oyster habitat. We can expect solar panels and rainwater collection systems to up the eco-friendliness, too. 

The current pier, as it stands, is a curious inverted pyramid hailing from the ‘70s, decorated with retro Mondrian-like blocks of primary colors. In 2010, the city voted to demolish and replace the downtown destination following 2004 findings that the structure’s wooden pilings likely wouldn’t last beyond 2014. If Maltzan gets the city council’s approval by vote on February 2, he’s got a $50 million budget to work with, and we can expect the fun to start within three years.