SCAPE and BIG Unveil Final Plans for Manresa Wilds on Former Power Plant Site in Norwalk, US | ArchDaily
Summary
SCAPE and BIG reveal plans for Manresa Wilds, a 125-acre park transforming a former power plant site in Norwalk into a vibrant public space with ecological restoration.
Why It Matters
This project highlights the importance of adaptive reuse and community engagement in urban development. By transforming a polluted site into a public park, it addresses environmental concerns while enhancing community access to natural spaces, setting a precedent for similar initiatives.
Key Takeaways
- Manresa Wilds will convert a former power plant into a 125-acre public park.
- Community feedback led to significant design changes, emphasizing natural landscapes.
- The project includes extensive ecological restoration and improved public access to the waterfront.
Save this picture!Manresa Wilds Zoomed Aerial. Image Courtesy of BIGWritten by Reyyan DoganPublished on February 27, 2026 Share ShareFacebookTwitterMailPinterestWhatsappOrhttps://www.archdaily.com/1039175/scape-and-big-unveil-final-plans-for-manresa-wilds-on-former-power-plant-site-in-norwalk-us Clipboard "COPY" CopyManresa Island Corp. has unveiled the final vision for Manresa Wilds, a 125-acre waterfront park planned on a former power plant peninsula along Long Island Sound in Norwalk, United States. Developed in collaboration with landscape architecture firm SCAPE and architecture studio BIG, the proposal outlines the transformation of a polluted and long-inaccessible industrial shoreline into a publicly accessible coastal landscape. Following the receipt of a stewardship permit from Connecticut's Department of Energy and Environmental Protection in December 2025, the project will move forward in phases, beginning with the opening of the 28-acre Northern Forest in spring 2027. Subsequent phases, extending into the early 2030s, will deliver the majority of the restored landscape and the adaptive reuse of the 1960s-era power plant as a year-round civic and educational hub, opening nearly two miles of coastline that have been closed to the public for decades.+ 21 Save this picture!Aerial image. Image Courtesy of Manresa Island CorpSince the project's announcement in October 2024, the nonprofit has engaged more than 3,000 community members through public meetings, surveys, ...
