Landscape Architect Articles

State Street Redesign09-19-05 | News

State Street Redesign

By Ken Saiki, Ken Saiki Design, Inc.

Certain areas on the street get special attention with granite paving mosaics. Four different granites are used, installed over a concrete underlayment to eliminate differential settling. An asphaltic mastic setting bed accommodates minor deviations in paver thicknesses. The four pavers are distributed randomly to reflect the diversity and eclecticism of the street and the city.

?EUR??,,????'??It would be a mistake to sidetrack the project. This is truly the most special, most important street in the community.?EUR??,,????'???EUR??,,????'??+Madison City Councilman Mike Verveer

Madison, Wisconsin?EUR??,,????'???s State Street is a recreational and social venue for one of the biggest universities in the country. The street is also the vibrant center of Wisconsin?EUR??,,????'???s capitol, and has recently won praise for an invigorating redesign.

State Street?EUR??,,????'???s redesign is actually a complete reconstruction of the street and surrounding side streets. After a process that generated significant public input and debate, construction got underway in spring of 2004. Most of the work is now finished, but smaller, additional phases will stretch construction through 2007 and possibly longer.

?EUR??,,????'??The timing depends on a complicated package of funding,?EUR??,,????'?? project landscape architect Ken Saiki explained. ?EUR??,,????'??Getting the money to balance out is the reason it wasn?EUR??,,????'???t all built at once.?EUR??,,????'??

The old street design dates from the early 1980s and set the stage for the rebirth of State Street as the primary retail shopping street in Madison, Wis. The street corridor links the state capitol grounds with the sprawling University of Wisconsin, home to 45,000 students, faculty and staff. While serviceable, the 1980s design created a restricted roadway, limiting most of the area to buses and bicycles. The design team knew that pedestrians needed more space.

Changing Designs

Over the years the makeup of retail and entertainment on the street has changed. Local businesses and national chains and franchises call this street home, and activity occurs throughout the day and into the early morning hours. State Street is the primary public street, site for festivals and special events (including demonstrations and protests) and it reflects the diversity and vibrancy of the community.

Before the redesign, this area had an odd collection of seat-height walls and planters. Circulation was restricted and the area was underutilized and trashy. The new design opens the area while retaining seating options. The corridor now has a new function in that the main pre-event space and lobby for Madison?EUR??,,????'???s Overture Center for the Performing Arts is located here. The Philosophers?EUR??,,????'??? Grove provides a space for reflection and relief from the hustle and bustle of State Street.

Four priorities dominated the reconstruction effort. Maintaining flexibility in the design was critical. Buildings here change uses regularly. Sidewalk cafes are now very popular and a move toward food and entertainment is a trend. The original design incorporated large fixed objects, masonry planters, seating areas and bus shelters that all took up large areas and were immovable. The new design replaces these ponderous blocks with surface-mounted benches, bike racks, trash and recycling containers, large pre-cast concrete planters and a new bus shelter design that can be relocated if the adjacent building needs space along the sidewalk for a caf????(C) or retail merchandising. Some streetscape components can also be temporarily removed during winter months to facilitate snow storage and removal, or for special events.

In early 2004, the shelters?EUR??,,????'??? cost raised a few eyebrows, but the key role the amenities play convinced city council members to fund seven of the new structures.

?EUR??,,????'??It would be a mistake to sidetrack the project,” councilman Mike Verveer said at the time. “This is truly the most special, most important street in the community.”

The University of Wisconsin?EUR??,,????'???s 45,000 students use plenty of bicycles to get around town?EUR??,,????'??+a fact that helps reduce traffic emissions and congestion. The racks seen here are manufactured by Middleton, Wis.-based Madrax.

Trees and Nightlife

Street trees planted 25 years ago have been pruned, lovingly cared for and cultivated over the years. The street trees are not shining examples of their individual species, but they provide shade, color, and define vertically and horizontally a pedestrian ?EUR??,,????'??room.?EUR??,,????'?? Here circulation, merchandising and most recently, a plethora of sidewalk cafes, have created Madison?EUR??,,????'???s ultimate pedestrian street.

The redesign emphasized the preservation of as many existing trees as possible. This was challenging given the complete reconstruction of all pavements and underground utilities. Where trees were missing or had to be removed, new street trees were introduced to maintain and infill to the existing 16-foot spacing between trees.

?EUR??,,????'??The Philosophers?EUR??,,????'??? Grove, so named because of the proximity to the state capitol and a series of museums, replaces an empty, underutilized space.?EUR??,,????'???EUR??,,????'??+Ken Saiki

A new pavement system was introduced to improve the growing conditions for new and existing trees. A structural cast in-place concrete slab spanned a non-compacted continuous soil trench that is approximately eight-feet wide and links all of the tree root zones to optimize the growing area for the street trees. Tree grates protect the area immediately around the tree from traffic and allow air and water to reach tree roots.

State Street is the center of nightlife in the city. The 1980s design used a multi-source lighting system that created a night environment that supported restaurants and retailing, and was non-intrusive to upper-floor residential uses. It also created a remarkable frame for Madison?EUR??,,????'???s community icon, the state capitol building that is at the end of the street.

This photo captures the design effect of the lighting scheme at the corner of Dayton, Fairchild and State streets?EUR??,,????'??+looking east on State Street. Tall-masted high-pressure sodium lamps provide an amber glow to the street that contrasts nicely with the bright capitol dome. They also illuminate the upper reaches of the tree canopy defining the ?EUR??,,????'??roof?EUR??,,????'?? of the street ?EUR??,,????'??room.?EUR??,,????'?? The pedestrian lights illuminate the sidewalk area and provide a clear view of the pedestrian space. The LED strings on the banner arm arc recapture the glitter effect of the incandescent globes installed in other parts of downtown in the 1980s.

The lights shown here are existing ?EUR??,,????'??glitter lights?EUR??,,????'?? that were part of the original design installed in the early 1980s. They provide a soft, warm accent light that accents the pedestrian space without competing with storefront display. The downside is that they use incandescent bulbs that burn out and require replacement on average twice a year. The energy usage is also relatively high. The metal halide lights employed nearby capture the accent effect with much more efficient light sources.

The original design utilized many light sources to create this ambiance. Roadway lighting was provided by high-pressure sodium, full-cut-off luminaries placed at a 20 to 25-foot mounting height. This hardware created an amber glow that contrasted with the bright white beacon of the capitol dome.

The taller lights also illuminated the tree canopy, defining a ?EUR??,,????'??ceiling?EUR??,,????'?? for the space and creating a dappled shade pattern on the ground plane. Secondary lighting was provided with 12-foot-high posts with an array of small diameter globes housing incandescent lamps. These fixtures provided a warm white light, accenting and defining the pedestrian space. Periodically, the globe light fixtures were supplemented with full-cut-off metal halide fixtures at a relatively low mounting height. While these fixtures added needed light, the relatively high wattage and low mounting height oftentimes intruded into storefronts making interior mood lighting difficult to maintain.

?EUR??,,????'??State Street is the primary public street, site for festivals and special events (including demonstrations and protests) and it reflects the diversity and vibrancy of the community.?EUR??,,????'???EUR??,,????'??+Ken Saiki

State Street has become a popular area for sidewalk caf????(C)s. According to city ordinance, each restaurant or tavern can occupy the sidewalk area two feet from the face of the curb to the line of pedestrian lights. Each sidewalk caf????(C) must be fenced, but the fence design, the tables, chairs, umbrellas, etc?EUR??,,????'??? are all open to the preference of each restaurant. The eclectic collection of colors, materials and furniture all add to the vibrancy of the street.

The design solution sought to recreate the appearance and functionality of the original design while reducing the maintenance and operational cost of the system. The new lighting system maintained the high-pressure sodium light source for primary illumination of the street and sidewalk. A new custom pedestrian light unit was also introduced. It incorporated a relatively low-voltage metal-halide light source at a 14-foot mounting height. This provided a line of lights defining the pedestrian space.

The custom unit also incorporated a banner bracket arc that holds a string of LED lights, replicating the effect of the globe incandescent lights at a fraction of the operation and maintenance cost. The lighting system maintains the color contrast with the Capitol dome, provides a safe and beautiful night environment and introduces a new aspect of detail and visual activity.

Navigation Through Design

A new wayfinding and street graphics system?EUR??,,????'??+and a new design ?EUR??,,????'??brand?EUR??,,????'???EUR??,,????'??+grew out of the design work. The old system had been modified to provide mountings for typical commercial banner systems and seasonal decorations. At the onset of the design process (in the month of May) Christmas holiday banners were part of the streetscape display.

The city initiated a design competition resulting in a new design for bus shelters for the street. The old bus shelters were of brick masonry construction, and were large, solid objects sitting in a narrow pedestrian area. The city wanted a transparent bus shelter with a relatively small footprint to enliven and lighten the street. The site amenity design team of Mike Sturm and Heather Lins of Madison won the competition. The landscape architecture team worked with Sturm-Lins to complete the structural and electrical details.

Clearly a better system of street graphics was needed to support and enhance retail activities throughout the year. The design team explored options for a new State Street brand that could be placed throughout the streetscape improvements, but also in marketing and promotional materials for the business association and business improvement district.

A ?EUR??,,????'??thumbprint?EUR??,,????'?? developed that captured the essence of State Street. The typeface symbolized and contrasted the institutional references of state government and the university and the vitality and diversity of the street.

The benches along this section of State Street are manufactured by Landscape Forms, Inc., from their Scarborough series. Like other site amenities added during the project, they are intended to encourage pedestrians to linger and interact in the downtown area.

Custom designed public informational kiosks enclose utility components such as traffic signal control boxes and electrical panels. A carefully detailed sub-enclosure with a key-locked access door contains a hose bib for cleaning and irrigation purposes. The kiosk design recalls the form and materials of the bus shelter and displays the State Street thumbprint.

The new banner system was developed to serve a dual purpose. The design team provided final art for four-seasons-worth of banners. Each seasonal banner graphic was prepared as part of the project. The banner system placed on the pedestrian lights was low enough to facilitate easy access for city crews.

The banner system also identified the block addresses of State Street. Color and text were used to differentiate between the 100, 200 and subsequent blocks of each street.

The color spectrum for what ultimately became six different blocks adds color and visual activity to the streetscape.

The pedestrian light and banner arm assembly is a custom design and fabrication. The globe contains a 39-watt, T6 metal halide lamp which provides soft general glare-free illumination with excellent color rendition. The design provides a votive-like quality to the street caf????(C)s. The removable banner bracket allows the city to use the pedestrian pole in future projects without reference to this specific street. The entire pedestrian pole assembly consumes 52 input watts. The trees here are honeylocust.

Other components included informational kiosks?EUR??,,????'??+two kiosk designs were implemented. A ?EUR??,,????'??State Street?EUR??,,????'?? kiosk recalled the roof line of the bus shelters and carried the State Street ?EUR??,,????'??thumbprint?EUR??,,????'?? icon. A second design was created for kiosks along the main fa??? 1/4 ade of the Overture Center for the Arts, and followed the forms and colors of the architecture. The informational kiosks also serve as containers for some of the functional components of the street, for traffic signal control and electrical cabinets.

Work continues on the project?EUR??,,????'???s Phase III this summer?EUR??,,????'??+a small portion that fills in the area in front of the expanding Overture Center. Work will push the redesign past State Street?EUR??,,????'???s 300 and 400 blocks next year. Depending on funding, additional construction could stretch the project into 2008.

The numbers on the bus shelter identify routes serving the bus stop. A total of seven of these shelters were funded for the opening phase of construction. Also note the gap in the low curb, which creates an access point for scooters and wheelchairs.

State Street Details

A look at some secondary considerations for the ongoing, Madison, Wis. project.

Public Art Areas

The team realized that many side-street areas had become underutilized and inhospitable. The 1980s construction resulted in an interruption to two streets, Carroll Street and Mifflin Street. The spaces resulting had become wasted spaces with marginal landscape development. In the interim, the Carroll Street space became home to a public art installation.

The Mifflin Street area was similarly neglected. The walls and planting beds were removed and a closely-spaced grid of street trees in grates created an open court.

The Madison Arts Commission desired a method for integrating public art here, and into subsequent phases of the State Street reconstruction. Jill Sebastian, the design team?EUR??,,????'???s public artist, used this space as the origin point for a public art template that will ultimately extend the length of the street.

The Philosophers?EUR??,,????'??? Grove, so named because of the proximity to the state capitol and a series of museums, replaces an empty, underutilized space.

Accent Paving

State Street is a hard working street. Heavy pedestrian use and extensive use of the corridor by buses create a lot of wear and tear. Budget constraints limited the amount of expensive paving that could be used for the streetscape, yet a desire to feature high quality paving materials was present. Two systems were used. The majority of the sidewalk pavement is exposed aggregate. This is an integrally-mixed colored aggregate in an uncolored concrete base. With the color coming from the aggregates alone, it is possible to have reasonable color match in subsequent phases and in repairs of damaged areas.

Maintenance Operations

Maintenance and operation costs and procedures were critical considerations throughout the design process. Providing for maintenance operations while maintaining the appearance of the streetscape dictated custom fabrications. Hose bibs were located on 100-foot centers all along the street. All elements are spaced to allow for snow removal by vehicles with very limited hand work required. Banner panels are rigid and digitally printed to extend life and facilitate removal and rotation of seasonal graphics. LED light sources replace the incandescent bulbs to drastically reduce maintenance and operational cost.