Landscape Architect Articles

A Diamond in the Rough at Scottsdale Museum of the West04-05-16 | Feature

A Diamond in the Rough at Scottsdale Museum of the West
Lighting by Ella Mills, Biella Lighting Design;
Sculpture by Curtis Pittman

The "Diamond Bloom' sculpture is prominently located along a well-traveled exterior walkway connecting the formal entrance of the Scottsdale Museum of the West to its public parking garage in Scottsdale, Ariz. Artist Curtis Pittman said the work needed to "stimulate this urban experience." It was important to him that the artwork be appreciated for both its beauty and lighting effects. The peaks of the sculpture light up thanks to the work of Ella Mills of Biella Lighting Design.
*Photos: Curtis Pittman*

Scottsdale Public Art commissioned artist Curtis Pittman to create the entry sculpture for the Scottsdale Museum of the West, which opened January 2015 in Arizona. The museum, a certified Smithsonian affiliate, is a "tribute to the art, history and culture of the 19 states that make up the American West." It features regularly changing exhibitions, events, tours, and activities that bring to life the unique stories of the people, places and events that embody Western heritage and play a role in shaping its future.

Pittman was one of 65 artists who submitted a proposal for the entryway. His application stood out for its modern, ephemeral reinterpretation of the museum's Western Spirit collections, which encompass the art, history, culture, and artifacts of the American West. The sculpture was illuminated with the help of Ella Mills, founder of Biella Lighting Design based in Portland, Ore.

Lighting the sculpture was not an easy task. The petals themselves contain in-grade lights and spotlights, but the lighting budget did not allow for custom fixtures to fit into them. Mills and Pittman worked together to incorporate cradles in the tips of the sculpture arms to hold white lights. The ends were widened to allow manual access, and the wiring was configured with extra slack for ease of maintenance. Dichroic lenses fitted over each light showcase different colors to mimic the glass fins of the sculpture.

In creating the "Diamond Bloom' sculpture, Pittman closely studied the site to produce a work that embraced the Western Spirit idea while complementing the new museum and the modernist lines of the nearby historic Loloma Transit Station. The curving, spiky forms of "Diamond Bloom' are reminiscent of a desert cactus flower. Radiant, changing qualities of light, shadow, and color contribute to its dynamic botanical form.

Functionally, "Diamond Bloom' is a catalyst to action; it effectively leads visitors from the adjacent parking garage through a courtyard and to the museum's main entrance. The clean, modern lines of the sculpture complement the design of the adjacent museum, while its two arcs converge above the visitor pathway. Visitors can walk through the sculpture en route to and from the museum's entry, meaning "Diamond Bloom' is both functional and beautiful.

The curved, spiked forms of the sculpture are reminiscent of a desert cactus flower. Its lines complement the architecture of the adjacent museum, guiding pedestrian circulation from the parking structure to the main entrance of the museum. Paved lines lead to the nearby Loloma Transit Station; the sculpture is located where these lines converge. Unlike many sculptural pieces, visitors can not only get up close and personal to "Diamond Bloom,' but can walk through it.

The lighting design, comprised of in-grade lights and spotlights within the petals, helps radiate the changing qualities of shadow and color across the curves of the form. At night, colored lights evoke the luminous daytime color play of the dichroic glass fins, which show different colors when viewed from different angles. Warm white adjustable LED groundlights illuminate the brass panels and tubular forms of the lower structure, adding an unexpected dramatic element to the sculpture and landscape. The groundlights have field-adjustable optics, which allowed the artist to fine-tune them on site according to his vision for the sculpture. Accent bullet lights (B-K Lighting) also help showcase the sculpture at night.

For Pittman, the process of lighting a sculpture is many times made complicated because his vision does not necessarily translate easily or well into available commercial fixtures sourced by a lighting designer. The lighting budget for "Diamond Bloom' was also limited, which negated an option for custom fixtures manufactured by an outside source. Instead, Mills worked with Pittman to incorporate cradles within the tips of the sculpture arms to hold white lights. Pittman widened the ends of sculpture arms to allow manual access and configured the wiring with extra slack to allow easy maintenance of the lights. This solution cost half as much as a custom fixture. Dichroic lenses, fitted atop each light, mimic the colors of glass in the sculpture and replicate the rich swirl of sunlight at sunsets and sunrises, adding a big visual impact to the design for a minimal extra cost.

Adjustable LED groundlights shine on the brass arms of the sculpture after sunset. These lights have field-adjustable optics that allowed Pittman to make changes on-site to ensure the final product fit his vision. In addition to the groundlights, accent bullet lights (B-K Lighting) shine on the sculpture.

Dimensions: 16'L x 16'W x 27'H
Completion: January 2015
Commissioning Owner: Scottsdale Public Art
Artist: Curtis Pittman, Portland, Ore.
Lighting design: Biella Lighting Design, Portland, Ore.
Structural Engineer: KPFF, Portland, Ore.
Metal Fabrication: Magnum Architectural, Phoenix
Glass Fabrication: Glass Strategies, Portland, Ore.
Museum Architect: Studio Ma, Phoenix

About the lighting designer: Ella Mills is the founder of Biella Lighting Design in Portland, Ore. She is a LEED accredited professional, a member of IESNA and an associate member of IALD. Ella has over 8 years of experience in the lighting industry, designing high-end residential, multifamily, civic, corporate, school, university and hospitality projects.

As seen in LASN magazine, April 2016.