Solomon Square is a roughly quarter-acre public plaza located on Central Square in Downtown Seaside. Dept. developed three modular planted seating areas that were used to activate the open space as part of a renovation by the plaza’s adjacent retailers.

An important goal of the project was to create a welcoming area in front of the storefronts that incorporated a tropical plant palette. The project site, located in the cooler climate of Northern Florida, however, required a sensitive approach to identifying cold-hardy tropical species that could withstand the region’s occasional freezes. Dept. worked with regional providers to hand-select plant material, including specimen trees.

The benches that form the planter edges are made of three precast concrete units (one corner unit and two straight units) with a salt-rock finish. The modular units are used to create three distinct planter sizes – small, medium, and large – arranged at angles. The palms and understory are planted as bouquets within the concrete benches, which also provide partial shade for the seating area. Embedded post lights create a warmly lit atmosphere at night. Models by Lily Li.

Client: Seaside Community Development Corporation

Collaborators: Artisan of Seagrove Beach, Inc., Premier Precast

Seaside, FL

Solomon Square Planters

Dept. is a landscape architecture and urban design studio that provides creative, useful, and adaptive design responses for the public and the environment.