St. Clair Street Bridge Interpretive Master Plan Pilot Project

Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Landscape Architects

This stretch of the historic Indiana Central Canal looks across the White River to the St. Clair Street Bridge. The interpretive design of LED lighting, a sound program and informative graphic panels beneath the bridge is a pilot project intended to foster future outdoor interpretive spaces along the Indianapolis canal walk.

Landscape Architecture: Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Landscape Architects
Lighting: Fisher Marantz Stone, Partners in Architectural Lighting Design Projects, NYC

The Canal and White River State Park (WRSP) is one of six districts created by the Indianapolis Cultural Development Commission in 2003 to facilitate development of arts, entertainment and hospitality in distinct Indianapolis locations. The cultural district program is managed by Indianapolis Downtown.

This rendering depicts some initial ideas for integrating lighting and graphics under the St. Clair Street Bridge.

At that time, the Canal and WRSP District boasted over $600 million in public/private investments, and, according to a market study, there were more than 750,000 people using the park.

In 2004, the Indianapolis Downtown Canal and WRSP, in partnership with Sallie Mae, announced a master plan project of interpretive spaces to engage the senses, while informing people about Indiana?EUR??,,????'???s past, present and future.

Enrique Garc??a Carrera, IALD, IES, LEED AP, associate principal with Fisher Marantz Stone, the project lighting consultant firm, explains the flood uplights are color changing LEDs (Philips Colorkinetics) using their Colorblast Powercore, which combines red, green and blue LED diodes in different intensities to achieve any desired color. The computerized LEDs are installed on the two bridge walls between the interpretive graphic panels and shielded behind custom-designed armatures. The fixtures changes color in sync with the sound program.

The goal of the master plan was to guide the creation of multilevel, functional, interpretive experiences along the canal. The canal bridges, were analyzed to determine historical importance, unique features and design opportunities. Five distinct outdoor spaces along the canal with unique interpretive opportunities were identified: Congressional Metal of Honor Memorial; Indiana State Museum 92 Counties Walk; Eiteljorg Museum Plaza; USS Indianapolis Memorial; and the historic canal gates at the north end of the canal.

Four graphic panels present four forms of transportation: water, rail, road, and air ?EUR??,,????'??? transportation modes that dramatically changed the lives of Hoosiers. The sounds of these forms of transportation give visitors a since of reality and wonder that complement and accentuate the visual panels.

Also identified along the canal were a multitude of landmarks: National Institution of Fitness and Sport; the future Indiana Museum of African American History; NCAA Hall of Champions; Indiana State Museum; Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art; Indiana State Library; Indiana Historical Society; Bethel AME Church; Historic Landmarks Foundation of Indiana; and the Madame Walker Theatre. It was recognition of these interpretive educational spaces and institutions along the canal that led to the pragmatic decision to use the bridges as the primary canvas to link the various cultural points along the canal. These experiences are sensory, educational and aid in wayfinding, drawing people to the canal and informing people about specific topics of interest.

Upon completion of the master plan, Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Landscape Architects (BDMD LA) set out to provide an artistic and interpretive space contained completely under the St. Clair Street Bridge on the canal. The focus of this pilot project was transportation. The master plan provided thematic direction, cost opinions and marketing directives for implementing the theme, while providing a springboard for the pilot design effort at the St. Clair Street Bridge.

The interpretive design for the St. Clair Street Bridge is a pilot project, but is intended to generate the excitement needed to foster future outdoor interpretive spaces along the Indianapolis canal walk.

Both sides of the canal are lit beneath the St. Clair Street Bridge.

Sound, Light and Interpretive Graphics
Sound, light and interpretive graphics under the St. Clair Street Bridge are designed to inform and engage visitors about the history of Indiana transportation. Four graphic panels present four forms of transportation: water, rail, road, and air ?EUR??,,????'??? transportation modes that dramatically changed the lives of Hoosiers.

Computerized color-changing LED floodlights illuminate the underside of the bridge on two walls between the interpretive graphic panels and shielded behind custom-designed armatures. The changing intensity of the colors are synchronized with the sound program, which takes the listener through time with Hoosier composers and musicians. A fifth comprehensive sound collage incorporates all four transportation types for a ?EUR??,,????'??real-life symphony.?EUR??,,????'??

This simple yet distinctively integration of bold lighting and sounds represents the interpretive vision of the master plan. It makes history come alive, confirming the abilities of landscape architects to guide and direct interpretive planning and design of educational spaces through imagery, light and sound.

Under the graphic panels the landscape architect created a series of podiums that blend with the bridge design. T5 fluorescents (by SPI) illuminate the graphic panels. There are also nameplates on the wall and fronts covers on the podiums. The podiums double as rest stops for pedestrians.

About the Firm
Founded in 1967, Browning Day Mullins Dierdorf Architects is an award-winning landscape architecture, planning and architecture firm in the Midwest. A sampling of projects include the Eli Lilly corporate campus, Indianapolis Motor Speedway F1 facilities master plan, Eiteljorg Museum of American Indians and Western Art, Indianapolis Museum of Art Expansion/Renovation, Indianapolis Monument Circle Urban Design, Healing Garden at St. Vincent Oncology Center and the University of Louisville Cardinal Park.

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The landscape architect?EUR??,,????'???s interpretive master plan for the Canal and White River State Park Cultural District has initiated new and creative spaces to draw people to the downtown canal area. The plan covers 28 blocks of the North Meridian neighborhood.

A Bit O?EUR??,,????'??? History
The Indiana Central Canal starts at a point immediately south of the geographic center of Washington Township, Indianapolis, Marion County and proceeds southwest running parallel to the east bank of the White River to a point near the northwest. Currently, 8.79 of the original 11-miles of the canal still flows. Construction on the canal began in 1836. ?EUR??,,????'??Malaria, cholera, powder blasts and kicks from mules caused roughly one life to be lost for every six linear feet,?EUR??,,????'?? it?EUR??,,????'???s reported.

The canal was built for transportation use, and to provide water power for wool, cotton, paper, grist, saw and oil mills. The canal almost immediately took on recreational use. There were good swimmin?EUR??,,????'??? holes near St. Clair Street and under the Fall Creek aqueduct. A canal boat ran between Indianapolis and Broad Ripple as early as the summer of 1839, and canoeing became quite popular.

Source: Indiana Central Canal - Indianapolis Division: Canal Walk