Hygienic Art Park: New London, Conn.

By Brian Kent, BLA, Kent + Frost, LLC, Landscape Architecture

The park is enclosed by an eight-foot tall steel picket fence of sculptural trees with interspaced cast-concrete columns. The column panels were created by a metal artist and designed as insets for a shadow-box effect. These are uplit with the same controlled beam spread of white AR-111s used for the fence. The three-story tall mural of stylized Greek caryatids is Hygienic’s irreverent motif. The mural is evenly uplit with above-grade fixtures containing ceramic metal halide lamps by Elliptipar.
Photo: A. Vincent Scarano

Located in the heart of New London, Connecticut’s historic central business district, the Hygienic Art Park occupies a previously vacant lot, 120-ft. long by 60-ft. wide area, not much bigger than an NBA court (94-ft. x 50-ft.).

The park was conceived as an outdoor extension of the 30-year old nonprofit artist organization Hygienic Art, Inc., owner of the site and adjacent building.

Hygienic Art Park, an outdoor extension of the nonprofit artist organization, Hygienic Art, Inc., occupies a former vacant lot in the heart of New London, Connecticut’s historic business district. The lighting philosophy was no “area lighting.” Each fixture was selected to light a surface or create an artistic effect, and to avoid glare and “light trespass.” The grove of 18 linden trees are within a grid of stone dust paving that separates the plaza from the amphitheater.

Hygienic’s philosophy has always encouraged unbridled creativity and innovation in the arts. The landscape architect, Kent + Frost, LLC was given a lead role in the creation of an engaging space that could accommodate programmed activities like concerts, receptions and festivals, as well as casual use by the public.

As an important function of the space was to host evening events, lighting played a prominent role in the programming and design. The design team included a lighting designer, architect, and several artists.

“Mockup testing revealed that if the fence’s steel angle iron branches were backlit, they would reflect light brilliantly off exposed faces, while shadowed faces would provide exceptional depth,” explains Brian Kent, BLA. “Since the metal color had to be of a value light enough to read strongly, and since painting and maintaining such a complicated assemblage of welded steel would be unsustainable, the team arrived at the solution of hot-dip galvanization.” The metallic silver color reacted beautifully when illuminated by recessed halogen AR-111 lamps and blue dichroic lenses (B-K Lighting).

The park is designed as a progression through three outdoor rooms where art, landscape and lighting blend for maximum effect. Beginning on the Bank Street sidewalk, the park is enclosed by an eight-foot tall steel picket fence of sculptural trees with interspaced cast concrete columns.

Indicative of the way the project coalesced, the fence was a collaboration between the landscape architect, metal artist and lighting designer. It was determined through mockup testing that if the fence’s steel angle iron branches were backlit, they would reflect light brilliantly off exposed faces, while shadowed faces would provide exceptional depth. Since the metal color had to be of a value light enough to read strongly, and since painting and maintaining such a complicated assemblage of welded steel would be unsustainable, the team arrived at the solution of hot-dip galvanization. The metallic silver color reacted beautifully when illuminated by recessed fixtures from B-K Lighting with halogen AR-111 lamps and blue dichroic lenses. Lighting effects were also taken into consideration in design of the concrete columns. Panels created by another metal artist were inset for a shadow box effect and uplit with the same controlled beam spread of white AR-111s.

The lighted spiral was fabricated using an aluminum channel embedded with three flexible clear conduits and recycled glass pebbles. A clear polymer resin commonly used by sculptors for molds was poured onto the pebbles to create a translucent and impervious ribbon. Three strands of replaceable rope light were then pulled through the conduit. This photo was taken just after installation.

Inside the Gates

Inside the three sets of bi-fold gates, the park opens to a rectangular plaza that matches the width of the three-story tall mural of stylized Greek caryatids that serves as Hygienic’s irreverent motif. The mural is evenly uplit with above-grade fixtures containing ceramic metal halide lamps by Elliptipar.

A bronze sculpture anchors the opposite end of the plaza. The female figure is climbing a vertical spiral atop a large shard of granite. The spiral reflects through the shape of the granite and onto the ground plane where a lighted Archimedean spiral uncoils its way through stone paving around the sculpture and into the next room of the park where it recoils as an equiangular spiral down to a small steel disk. The lighted spiral was fabricated using an aluminum channel embedded with three flexible clear conduits and recycled glass pebbles. A clear polymer resin commonly used by sculptors for molds was poured onto the pebbles to create a translucent and impervious ribbon. Three strands of replaceable rope light were then pulled through the conduit.

Surrounding the plaza, concrete seat walls are punctuated by evenly spaced flush-mounted fixtures containing blue LEDs by Zumtobel Staff. These marker lights not only help to locate and guide the visitor, but also provide a stimulating visual effect. At the time the project was designed in 2004, LED fixtures were not a frequent application in landscape lighting.

At the midpoint of the park a grove of 18 linden trees on a grid with stone dust paving separates the plaza from the amphitheater. The dark grove sets up the transition into the controlled light space of the amphitheater where a professional theatrical lighting system is mounted on a permanent pylon and truss structure and within the stage ceiling. The 20-foot tall stage backdrop was designed to provide excellent acoustics and to screen the city skyline and spill light from surrounding streets. Single white LED fixtures (Bega) are embedded in the cast concrete steps up to either side of the stage for safe egress.

A bronze sculpture anchors the opposite end of the plaza. The female figure is climbing a vertical spiral atop a sizable shard of granite. The spiral reflects through the shape of the granite and onto the ground plane where a lighted Archimedean spiral uncoils through stone paving around the sculpture and into the next room of the park. There, it recoils as an equiangular spiral down to a small steel disk. Surrounding the plaza, concrete seat walls are punctuated by evenly spaced flush-mounted fixtures containing blue LEDs (Zumtobel Staff). At the time the project was designed in 2004, LED fixtures were not a common application in landscape lighting.
Photo: A. Vincent Scarano

The Park as Art

The overriding theme of the project is the park itself is the art, including the fencing, the paving, the landscaping, the amphitheater and the lighting. The key to the success of the lighting design is there is no “area lighting” at all. Each fixture was selected to light a surface or create an artistic effect, and to avoid glare and “light trespass,” allowing the visitor to negotiate the space freely with confidence and comfort.

Since its opening in summer 2005, the park has hosted three seasons of evening events. Lighting has played an essential role in this successful run.

Design Team