4 Hands and Peacemaker: A New Culinary Destination in Kirkwood

4 Hands and Peacemaker, one of the most-anticipated restaurants of the year, opened in downtown Kirkwood. This unique partnership between 4 Hands Brewing Co. and Peacemaker Lobster & Crab has transformed the space previously occupied by Down by The Station, a boutique gift shop near the Kirkwood train station.

The restaurant, three years in the making, offers a “transportive” dining experience envisioned by partners Lemp and Nashan. The 2,500-square-foot interior is complemented by a covered patio with 9-foot tall accordion glass doors, an uncovered patio, and a green space referred to as the “back yard.” This outdoor area provides a safe space for kids to play while adults dine nearby.

DG2 Design, landscape architects, collaborated closely with the building architect, Eddy Design Group and civil engineer, Castle to ensure a seamless transition between the building and the landscaped patios. Guests are greeted with a park-like setting featuring native plants, landscape boulders, and trees, creating a harmonious blend of indoor and outdoor spaces.

The outdoor space includes ADA-compliant restrooms, ensuring comfort and convenience for all guests. An additional patio area adjacent to a red caboose is set to be adorned with string lights and sail shades, adding to the charm.

Early visitors have praised the spacious, beautifully landscaped environment, making 4 Hands and Peacemaker a standout addition to the Kirkwood dining scene.

4210 Duncan – Cortex Innovation Community

St. Louis, MO

The design of the nine-story, 316,000-sq.-ft office and lab building at 4210 Duncan was inspired by the site’s legacy
as a former metal manufacturer. It features a linear, metal facade and will become the largest building on the Cortex
campus upon completion. The flexible floor plan is designed to accommodate various space configurations and is techand
lab-ready. A hospitality lobby connects to the new Cortex Gateway Plaza, offering outdoor restaurant terraces,
event spaces, and work areas.

The building will be constructed on a surface parking lot, with significant street-level changes planned, including the
removal of a large concrete wall that kept the site level. Retail spaces will be included to enhance the district’s
development into a true neighborhood over time. All four sides of the building engage with the streetscape
and pedestrian level, activating the Cortex Community experience. An interior plaza will provide circulation as
well as spaces for art, games, movies, and socializing. The building’s design will be striking and visible from Interstate
64, Forest Park Avenue, and Vandeventer, making it the tallest in the neighborhood. Additionally, 4210 Duncan will
be close to Sarah Street, which is undergoing significant changes to improve the streetscape and pedestrian
connection to the Grove.

CITYPARK – St. Louis CITY SC MLS Stadium & District

St. Louis, Missouri

The ownership group for St. Louis CITY FC, the new Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise in St. Louis, had a vision for creating a vibrant mixed-use stadium district in the city’s Downtown West neighborhood. DG2 teamed with architects HOK and Snow Kreilich to design this reality.  The stadium is located within, Downtown West, a resurgent neighborhood and at the western end of the Gateway Mall, which is a corridor of public open space that connects to the Gateway Arch and Mississippi River.

The stadium site and adjacent parking garage lie across the street from historic Union Station and at the end of the Gateway Mall, along The Brickline Greenway linking the stadium to the Gateway Arch and Mississippi River.

The stadium’s scale and form emerge from the surrounding urban context.   The 22,500-seat stadium is open and transparent, with views into the field from the neighborhood and views out to the city from the seating bowl.

St. Louis CITY wants this mixed-use district to catalyze downtown activity 365 days a year. Anchored by a compact stadium that fits comfortably into its urban neighborhood, the district will include spaces for hosting year-round community events, concerts, celebrations, and a variety of outdoor activities.

The 31 acres site includes over 300 trees of 21 different species. The site was strategically designed to keep the stadium’s corners open, we worked with the team to set the elevation of the stadium be accessible at all four corners. The design creates flexible plazas that can host non-game day events ranging from festivals to wedding receptions, including the main 2.9 acre Lou Fusz Plaza . Street-level vendors will have the opportunity to establish stands that face out to the city from the Stadium and the Pitch 314 Garage.

MORE THAN A STADIUM

The stadium district also includes the team’s headquarters, training and performance center, three practice fields, and a fan pavilion and team store. STL City SC will be of a few teams in all of professional sports to have all components in one downtown location. As a result of early planning and creative solutions, the stadium will have four public sides, all reaching out to the community as an inviting entry. Fans will be able to entry the stadium on all sides with a major entry plaza serving as an optimal pre-game gathering space and post-game celebrations. This area will provide better access for fans and allow for the development of a year-round urban hub surrounding the stadium. This will not only allow for the development of a world class stadium, but will transform Downtown West into an urban activity hub open year-round and easily accessible via pedestrian pathways, bicycle and public transit.

• 31 ACRES
• 2.9 ACRE EAST PLAZA
• 300 URBAN TREES (21 DIFFERENT SPECIES)
• 54 PLANT VARIETIES
• 1,600 FEET OF NEW CITY STREETS RESTORED
• 1,800 FEET FROM A METROLINK STATION
• 841 LINEAR FEET OF GREENWAY

4340 Duncan – Cortex Innovation Community

The adaptive reuse project transformed the 1930 Crescent
Building, a long-vacant structure listed on the National
Register of Historic Places, into a multitenant lab and office
facility for St. Louis’ growing bioscience startup community.
The building, once a printing plant for the St. Louis Post-
Dispatch, now features modern lab and office spaces
within its historic walls. The team preserved the building’s
industrial character while introducing a new space program,
including glass-walled office suites, labs, support spaces,
and meeting rooms within a multistory atrium that once
housed printing presses.
DG2 Design designed the new entrance with a generous
ramp and native landscaping, connected the streetscape
into the Cortex Community, and added a walkout terrace and
green roof atop a previous 1950s addition to the building.

Mastercard

Mastercard

Upper Muny Festival & Parking Plaza

Upper Muny Festival & Parking Plaza

21c Museum Hotel St. Louis