Opened September 25, 2009

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Commissioned by Cleveland Public Art for the City of Cleveland. Opens late 2010.

Introduction

The mixed residential and industrial neighborhood of Nottingham is an unusual site for a public artwork. It does not host the type of site one generally associates with public art—large parks, public buildings or corporate plazas. The lack of a traditional context, the request that the work have a relationship to the City of Cleveland’s Division of Water, while also providing an amenity for the neighborhood, make this a particularly challenging endeavor. Furthermore, given that this is in many ways an isolated neighborhood as it lacks retail establishments that attract visitors this is not so much a public artwork, but rather a neighborhood artwork.

While developing my proposal I immediately set out to create a site that would be a respite—a place where people would want to gather and relax. As in previous works I sought to augment and activate existing elements of the site and make the site itself an essential element of the work. All these elements combine to create a kind of urban earthwork that is playful, romantic and as entertaining as it is functional.

Work Description

The work for the 9,000 square foot site that extends from Nottingham Road to R. J. Taylor Park would create a new main entrance for the park and provide a fun and romantic area for people to gather. A path of perforated pavers that allow the grass to grow through the pavers and partially camouflage it meanders through the site from the Nottingham Road sidewalk to an existing R. J. Taylor Park path. A thin steel 8-foot high wall with an ivy-covered trellis would form a barrier between the east side of the property and the rather unsightly electric sub-station. A similar fence with ivy on both sides would provide a visual and sound barrier for the neighbors to the west. A 150-foot clothesline-like seemingly functional labyrinthine of large light blue water pipes would zigzag through the site. Large water valves, gauges, gaskets and pumps like those found in a city water pump station would adorn the pipes. Four “porch” swings hang from the overhead water pipes. These are not traditional porch swings but rather aluminum semi-circular swings that look like they were cut from a giant colander. The swings are attached to the water pipes by three pipes with ball and socket joints at each end which allow one the gently sway in any direction. One swing is large enough to accommodate five adults; two can accommodate three adults and the last is designed for two. Unlike traditional straight park benches this semi-circular design fosters interaction and conversation. Toward the middle of the site the pipe, at its highest point, is sixteen feet overhead. There is a large oval drain made of the same perforated material as the benches and a stainless-steel old-fashion water hand-pump under the overhead pipe. The equivalent of a few cups of water rains down from the pipe overhead when the pump handle is pushed down. It is a refreshing, albeit very brief, shower.

At night LED lights located above each of the swings and the “shower” will gently illuminate the site maintaining both a romantic and a safe environment.

Conclusion

With an economy of means Nottingham Falls creates a celebratory park entrance and a beautiful spot for neighbors to gather who might not otherwise have casual encounters as the neighborhood lacks a retail-shopping district. The artwork raises the visibility of the City of Cleveland Division of Water and fosters a greater appreciation for our water supply by requiring people to exert some physical effort to enjoy the benefits of a refreshing shower.

Public Art Project Description Coming Soon

The facility will constitute an adaptive reuse of a former Home Depot, and will house the municipal court and also provide space for a police substation. The footprint of the facility is 108,000 square feet, and is sited on a high elevation near the interstate highway (IH-35) in north central Austin. The scope of this project is to provide 66,000 square feet of renovated space to include general administrative areas, prosecutors’ offices, judges’ offices, a large courtroom, medium courtrooms, marshals’ offices with holding rooms and public waiting areas/rooms, as well as several separate, designated spaces to serve as a police substation within the facility. The substation will require 26,000 square feet of conditioned office space, community meeting space, report-taking space and public service counter. Of the remaining 16,000 square feet, some or all of that space may be used for commercial or community rental space.

There will be shared common space and infrastructure to accommodate visitors and staff of both the municipal court and police substation. The site work will include parking for 600 secured and unsecured spaces. The facility will be located within the St. Johns neighborhood of Austin, at IH-35 and St. Johns.

Austin Art in Public Places

Seemingly constructed from parts salvaged from the Hunters Point Shipyard (HPS), Nautical Swing provides a place where up to a dozen people can relax, converse, and enjoy the view while gently swaying on a circular bench that is protected from the sun and rain by a glass overhead roof. Unlike traditional straight park benches, this circular design —a park-bench/porch-swing hybrid—fosters interaction and conversation.

Mirroring the redevelopment of the HPS site itself, Nautical Swing references the past, the present, and the future. The brushed stainless-steel columns and beams mimic the structure of the historic dry-dock and gantry crane. The roof structure looks as if it could once have been part of Navy Base Laboratory buildings. The bench is also stylistically similar to the new park benches that will be installed throughout HPS. The roof glass, which is angled toward the south, is clear at night and automatically tints in the daytime—offering protection from ultraviolet light, rain, and the glare of the sun.

At night, LED lights located under the bench subtly illuminate the structure, making the setting as seductive and romantic as it is in the day. The LED lights and automatically tinting glass are powered by three solar panels on the roof.

Employing an economy of means, Nautical Swing creates a celebratory park feature and a beautiful spot for neighbors to gather. The work is playful, romantic, and as entertaining as it is functional.

Nautical Swing requires minimal maintenance. It is comprised of a brushed stainless-steel infra-structure, a treated-wood bench, and laminated safety-glass modules that can be easily replaced if necessary. The ball and socket design restricts the arc of the bench so that its swing is limited to a safe moderate sway. A structural engineer will certify the design and fabrication.

The work will be delivered as a “kit of parts” so that it can be easily assembled in its temporary site, then disassembled, moved, and reassembled in its permanent site.

Materials: stainless steel, wood, self-tinting laminated safety glass, LED lights, solar panels.

Dimensions: 12’ x 20’ x 20’ (HWL)