And the Les Grube Memorial Design Award Goes to . . .

The top and bottom rails of the fence are serpentine, with posts set at angles (8 to 12 degrees from vertical) to create a sense of rhythm and energy. The fence is painted in a purple vinyl. The fence is in a little park called the South Street Mall in Boston. Ray Dunetz was the landscape architect for the corner lot park.

The Chain Link Fence Manufacturers Institute (CLFMI) 2011
Les Grube Memorial Design Award goes to designer Beth Galston (designer) of Carlisle, Mass., and Bartek Konieczny (the fabricator, Solutions in Metal) for their work on the serpentine fence project in Boston.

The CLFMI Design Award is named for Les Grube, a past president of CLFMI.

The top and bottom rails of the fence are serpentine, and the posts are set at angles to create billowing curves when the chain link is stretched around the structure.

Several full-scale mock-ups of the fence were made to be certain the fabric would form smooth continuous curves. The fence was then constructed in six sections and transported to the site and set in concrete. The fabric is in a custom purple color. At night, 14 special uplights along the length of the fence create a dramatic effect.

The serpentine purple fence cost $75,000, which came from the Edward Ingersoll Browne Fund, though which the city pays for public art. The construction cost of the park was $329,000.

The winning architect and contractor each receive a plaque and a $1,000 each.