Landscape Architect Articles

LASN PMBR News October 2009: Art Alley, New Britain, Conn.10-01-09 | News

Art Alley, New Britain, Conn.

By TO Design, LLC

A blighted parking area was reconfigured to make this pedestrian connection between two busy streets in New Britain, Conn. The hardscape incorporated designs from neighborhood groups onto 10?EUR??,,????'???x10?EUR??,,????'??? paver panels and inscribed their vision statements into granite panels.

In early 2001 when the city of New Britain?EUR??,,????'???s Department of Public Works (DPW) was nearing completion of a major streetscape revitalization program, they faced the dilemma of how to provide a pedestrian connection between two busy streets. The logical place to make the connection was a blighted parking area. With considerable foresight, Marilynn Cruz-Aponte, the DPW project manager, decided to reconfigure the parking lot and carve out a walkway in the sea of pavement. Cruz-Aponte, dedicated to inclusiveness and community involvement, also saw this as an opportunity to involve the diverse neighborhood population in creating a work of public art.

Working with the landscape architect, ideas were generated to make this walkway a special and unique place in the landscape. After evaluating many ideas, including the possibility of a labyrinth, it was decided each of the 15 neighborhood organizations would be invited to submit a design and vision statement. Those images and text would then be built into the walkway.

Now that the neighborhood was engaged in the planning and design, the client and landscape architect developed a plan to incorporate the images into 10?EUR??,,????'???x10?EUR??,,????'??? paver panels and inscribe the vision statements into the granite panels.

Along the walkway, ornamental lights were incorporated to match those already on the streetscape. Street trees, shrubs and ornamental fencing rounded out the amenities for pedestrians.

Three workshops were held with the community groups. At the first workshop the project was described and people were invited to join the effort. A few weeks later the second workshop met to discuss how the designs would be transferred to the pavement. Each participating group was given sheets of graph paper, parameters for their designs and possible colors. Facilitators from the landscape architect?EUR??,,????'???s office and the New Britain Department of Public Works helped participants design their square. At the end of this workshop the neighborhood artists were given two weeks to finalize the designs and told that the landscape architect would be available to answer questions and help work out any technical problems. The third workshop was held to collect the designs and clarify any confusion. There was a great deal of enthusiasm at all of these workshops. Participants ranged from a nationally recognized art museum to a local program for unwed mothers, all members of the neighborhood.

With the raw material in hand, the task of the landscape architect was to transfer the designs to a construction document. Again working with graph paper, the images were designed so they could be constructed on-site using only straight cuts. A paver line with three modular shapes was selected, giving a fairly highly degree of flexibility to the designer.

Another significant component to the walkway design was the placement of a 30?EUR??,,????'???x60?EUR??,,????'??? mural at the terminus. The mural was painted on a blank wall of the YWCA, whose staff was actively involved in the design. Along the walkway ornamental lights were incorporated to match those already on the streetscape. Street trees, shrubs and ornamental fencing rounded out the amenities.

We believe the Art Alley will be a source of pride for the neighborhood, that the residents will make it their own and protect the installation from vandalism and neglect. So far it has been a great success.