DG2 Design provided landscape architecture and public realm design for 4210 Duncan, a nine-story, 316,000-square-foot office and lab building rising in St. Louis’s Cortex Innovation Community. Designed to become the largest building on the Cortex campus, 4210 Duncan draws on the site’s legacy as a former metal manufacturer — expressing that history through a linear metal facade that will be visible from Interstate 64, Forest Park Avenue, and Vandeventer.

A New Gateway Plaza for the Cortex Campus

At the heart of the public realm design is the new Cortex Gateway Plaza, which connects directly to 4210 Duncan’s hospitality lobby. The plaza creates outdoor restaurant terraces, flexible event spaces, and informal work areas that extend the building’s programming into the surrounding streetscape. The result is a ground-level environment that activates all four sides of the building and draws pedestrians into the Cortex campus from the surrounding neighborhood.

Replacing a Parking Lot with a Neighborhood

The building rises from what was previously a surface parking lot, and the site design reflects a deliberate shift in priorities: from auto storage to human activity. A large concrete wall that once held the site level has been removed, opening the building’s edges to the street. Retail spaces at grade further enrich the district’s evolution into a true mixed-use neighborhood over time.

Connected to the Broader City

4210 Duncan sits in close proximity to Sarah Street, which is undergoing its own streetscape improvements to strengthen the pedestrian connection to the Grove neighborhood. The building’s flexible floor plan — tech- and lab-ready, with a range of configurable space options — ensures that the campus can adapt to the changing needs of the innovation economy, while the public realm design ensures it remains connected to and welcoming for the surrounding St. Louis community.