MKSK Studios
Ed Schory & Son
Carbon Black Pavers
Carbon Black Plank Pavers
Ivory Bay Pavers
Landmark Pavers
The overall goal was to establish a new “public square” for the City of Canton. A cohesive and continuous space is designed to unite community members through music, art, and food. In order to achieve this, the design called for a unifying paving strategy with accessible routes that spanned the public realm (streets) to the private domain (plaza) and from building face to building face along 3rd Street, 4th Street, and Court Avenue. The city also expressed a desire for a more modern appearance to the plaza, one that would present a forward-thinking approach that aligned with their long-term goals of reinventing the downtown core.
Architectural and landscape architectural elements were designed to reflect Canton's principles, qualities, and characteristics. To build on the already strong sense of community and identity, the design team at MKSK utilized materials commonly found in Canton, including locally sourced brick, stone, and metal. Belden Clay Pavers were selected for the hardscape design due to The Belden Brick Company's strong commitment to the city and its ability to manufacture a premium clay paver that would reinforce the plaza's design aesthetic and vision.
The use of clay pavers was critical in achieving the goals outlined above. The long-term durability, color selections, and varied shapes of Belden Clay Pavers allowed MKSK’s design team great flexibility in reaching the final plan. They chose Carbon Black, Ivory Bay, and Landmark City Line Series Pavers to modernize the design and create visual continuity of existing hardscapes.
MKSK also worked with The Belden Brick Company to develop custom details for crosswalk and bikeway markings for an integrated paving pattern that continues across the roadways, providing for an experience of one ample space. Rolled curbs provide easy pedestrian navigation during events, and custom paver details provide an elegant, robust, and sustainable paving solution.
Our Architectural Shapes Department designed custom brick shapes for designated directional and bicyclist pavement markings. Our craftsmen carefully produced, then numerically organized, and packaged the installation's unique sizes and patterns to facilitate the installation as working functional pavers.
Designer: MKSK Studios
Contractor: Enviroscapes
Brick Distributor: Ed Schory & Son
Photography: Joe Albert Signature Photography, Ray-Stewart, The Belden Brick Company
RECOGNITION:
2019 OCASLA Merit Award - Design Not Constructed: Canton Centennial Plaza - MKSK
2021 HNA Awards: Clay Brick - Commercial (Hardscape North America Awards)
2021 Brick in Architecture Award, Gold Winner – Paving & Landscaping
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