New Stone Picnic Pavilion
Words: Dan KamysThanks to the generosity of the St. Louis masonry industry, the city of St. Louis' roster of Forest Park picnic facilities now boasts a beautiful new stone picnic pavilion, built with labor and materials donated by area mason contractors and material suppliers.
The idea for the pavilion was conceived by Ed Glock, Executive Director of the Masonry Institute of St. Louis (MISL), who believed that a new pavilion for Forest Park would be an appropriate masonry industry contribution to this year's World's Fair Anniversary celebration. Accordingly, in 1999 the Masonry Institute joined with the AIA St. Louis, the Mason Contractors Association - St. Louis, Bricklayers' Local Union No. 1 of Missouri, and the city of St. Louis Department of Parks, Recreation and Forestry to hold a charette, a highly collaborative architectural development and design within a limited time. The winning entry, drawn by Mark Reuther and Matt McDermott of Hoener Associates Architects, features a massive stone fireplace and masonry serpentine wall. It was judged to be "a classic pavilion design" that would fit well within the context of Forest Park's heritage of limestone structures.
Major contributors of labor for the project include Spencer Brickwork, John J. Smith Masonry Co., Heitkamp Masonry, Grant Masonry Contracting Co. and McDonnell Tuckpointing. Major donators of materials include Sanco Stoneworks, Raineri Construction Products, Buchheit Supply, Kirchner Block & Brick, Goedecke, Inc. and Lager Stone.
The Masonry Institute of St. Louis (masonrystl.org) is a technological organization that serves as an educational and informational resource for those interested in masonry design and construction.