St. Louis's bold commitment to public spaces to reinvigorate the city (see Analysis and Planning, South Grand Boulevard "Great Streets Initiative," page 143) also comes through emphatically here, with a melding of art and garden into a high-profile gathering place. "Mothers bring their children from all over town," the jury noted. Sponsored by the private Gateway Foundation, Citygarden is a three-acre sculpture garden on the downtown Gateway Mall (see "Creating an Urban Oasis," LAM, April 2010). It is free and open to the public—with no fences or gates, no signs prohibiting the touching of sculptures.
The design tells stories of local geology, hydrology, and natural history. A section representing bluffs along the Mississippi and Missouri rivers includes outdoor terraces, groves of shade trees, and a garden pavilion cafe. Referring to the floodplain, the heart of die park is given over to an expansive reinforced lawn, water features, shade trees, and the dramatic sculpture Eros. Another section represents the cultivated river terraces; beds raised for seating hold bands of perennials and shrubs.
The strength of the design comes from water, stone, and sculpture, but it is the plants that give the park everyday life, lushness, and a sense of four seasons. The palette emphasizes Missouri's native trees, shrubs, grasses, ground covers, and wildflowers. About 50 percent of the park is shaded by honeylocust, willow and scarlet oaks, red and sugar maples, and plane trees—altogether 235 trees of 20 different species, plus 89 other species.
Technorati Tags: CITYGARDEN,ST. LOUIS
0 comments:
Post a Comment