Steinberg Pavilion and Rink
A beloved St. Louis gathering place enters a new era
- Client
- Forest Park Forever
- Location
- Missouri, United States
- Size
- 27,600 square feet
- Status
- In Progress
Since opening in 1957, the Steinberg Pavilion and Rink have been woven into the lives of generations and hold a cherished place in St. Louis’s collective memory. Originally designed by Frederick Dunn, the rink and mid-century modern pavilion embodied a radical idea for their time as a public place open to all races and free to children. In doing so, they became one of the city’s first integrated recreational facilities and established an early model for public space as a civic equalizer.
Now, Steinberg Rink and its neighboring Pavilion are being reimagined as centers for all-season fun that are equitable, environmentally sound and economically sustainable. The design restructures the Pavilion to include a party room, rink-side café, multipurpose room, terrace and rooftop café. CannonDesign is serving as project prime and architect of record, with Snow Kreilich Architects serving as design architect and Hoerr Schaudt as landscape architect.
The original Frederick Dunn building will be extensively renovated and expanded vertically to introduce two new rooftop pavilions, fulfilling the architect’s long-held vision for a roof terrace observation deck. From this elevated vantage point, visitors are immersed in the activity of Forest Park and the city beyond, reconnecting the building to its broader civic setting.
More than 5,000 community residents were engaged to help shape the design of the project.
Over several years, these residents shared input through stakeholder interviews, online surveys, social media outreach and in-person open houses. The project team intentionally sought voices from people who do not currently use this area of Forest Park, ensuring the design reflects a broader range of needs and perspectives. A universal design working group, including community members with mobility challenges, vision and hearing impairments, and autism spectrum needs, helped shape spaces that are welcoming, intuitive, and accessible to all.
Together, these efforts create a renewed public place defined by flexibility, inclusion and shared experience. Steinberg Rink and Pavilion will support both scheduled events and spontaneous moments of connection, welcoming the full range of communities who gather here throughout the year and reinforcing the site’s enduring role as one of Forest Park’s most democratic and joyful destinations.
Setting a new standard for sustainable ice rinks
The project also rethinks what an ice rink can be from an environmental performance standpoint. Long considered an inherently resource-intensive building type, Steinberg sets a new paradigm through an all-electric approach supported by a geothermal well field that functions as a heat sink for both the building and ice equipment. Highly efficient ice systems further reduce operational demands, creating a forward-looking facility that aligns recreation with responsible energy use.
