To enhance Tower Grove Park for the 21st century while preserving its history, Trivers has completed the park’s first new buildings in more than 50 years and restored four of its Victorian pavilions.
“These design solutions meet modern community needs while safeguarding the park’s National Historic Landmark status,” said Trivers Principal Amy Gilbertson, FAIA. “With a balance of preservation and creativity, they honor the park’s past even as they embrace change.”
Expanding the Park’s Capabilities
For the first time in five decades, new structures have risen at Tower Grove Park: The Director’s Croquet Garden and Event Support Building.
Trivers transformed the Director’s Croquet Garden from an underutilized space into a premier destination for farm-to-table meals, educational programs, weddings and other private celebrations. Enhancements such as thoughtfully designed planting areas and overhead catenary lighting acknowledge the park’s historic character while creating a new event venue.
Designed to bolster both public and private programming at the park, the Event Support Building provides storage for event supplies, a larger catering kitchen to host pop-up events, the recently announced Tower Grove Beer Garden by Rockwell Beer Co., and much-needed public restrooms. The space also includes an expanded plaza for gatherings, bike service station and pedestrian safety improvements.
“Architecturally, the building is designed to honor its historic neighbors – the Piper Palm House and Piper Plant House – drawing inspiration from their character to create compatibility while acknowledging their construction in the modern era,” Gilbertson said. “With shared elements like overall form and proportion, brick, and standing seam metal roof similar in color to the historic copper roofs, the structure will complement and strengthen the park’s landscape.”
Preserving Victorian Landmarks
Tower Grove Park is home to the largest collection of Victorian pavilions in the world all designed between 1870 and 1872. After more than 150 years of use, the Cypress South Pavilion, Humboldt Pavilion, Lily Pond Pavilion and Old Carriage Pavilion were showing signs of structural and cosmetic deterioration.
Trivers recently completed the restoration of the four pavilions, which included repair of ironwork and wood embellishments; new foundations; new paint selected to match the pavilions’ original colors; new red cedar shingles at Lily Pond, Cypress and Old Carriage; and long-term coating over the original terne metal roof at Humboldt. The project earned a 2026 Most Enhanced Award from the Landmarks Association of St. Louis.
A Partnership That Continues to Grow
Trivers’ relationship with Tower Grove Park began when it was selected to restore and preserve its equestrian stable that was built in 1868. In 2023, Trivers refurbished the park’s Turkish Pavilion and Old Playground Pavilion. The firm’s work on these pavilions received a Palladio Award from Traditional Building, the AIA Honor and Craftsmanship Award from the American Institute of Architects of St. Louis and a Most Enhanced Award from the Landmarks Association of St. Louis.
Trivers is proud to help the park continue to execute its Master Plan, which includes the upcoming restoration of the iconic Music Stand and construction of another Operations and Event Support Building adjacent to the new Director’s Croquet Garden.
“These ongoing improvements will strengthen park operations and create even more welcoming experiences for the community, now and for generations to come,” Gilbertson said.
