Strategic Moves in Lighting

By Melissa Tchirkow

Measuring in at just 4,500 sq. ft., one would be accurate in classifying Chess Park as a ?EUR??,,????'??mini park.?EUR??,,????'?? The 28-foot-tall towers shaped like abstract chess pieces have established the park as an eccentric attraction in Glendale, Calif., a city located 10 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles.

Gone are the days when parks go into the night unlit and unused. A new era of 24-hour parks is putting a glow in the night?EUR??,,????'???s sky, as evidenced by the Chess Park in Glendale, CA, which held its 2004 grand opening ceremony in the evening?EUR??,,????'??+under the warm golden hue of light.

Beams of light from 110 VAC floodlights illuminate the upper portion of each tower from below. Because of their geometry, the towers have additional lights shining downward from the top of the internal frame. Each tower is open to the sky.

The Source Of Light

Approximately 28-foot-tall towers shaped into abstracted chess pieces has established the Chess Park as a quirky attraction in Glendale, a city 10 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles. Designed and landscaped by Los Angeles-based Rios Clementi Hale Studios, the park has put the game of chess in the spotlight with a theme-driven plan that celebrates the history and lore of the game.

Located on the shop-filled Brand Boulevard, the Chess Park is Glendale?EUR??,,????'???s first urban park?EUR??,,????'??+an elongated, rectangular space between two retail shops. At 4,500 square feet, it is classified as a mini-park, offering residents and area workers a place to relax and unwind within the city?EUR??,,????'???s densely built downtown district.

?EUR??,,????'??The Chess Park was designed to be a safe, stimulating environment for chess players and community members,?EUR??,,????'?? said Frank Clementi, AIA, AIGA, a principal at Rios Clementi Hale Studios.

The park?EUR??,,????'???s evolution began in 2002 when members of the local chess community voiced the desire to have a permanent place to play and host competitions. Glendale?EUR??,,????'???s redevelopment agency, which had been pursuing a more livable, pedestrian-friendly downtown district, welcomed the idea and turned its attention to an underused passageway as a possible site. The city had been struggling to find the best use for the site, which, since 1999, had served as a de facto pedestrian short-cut route that connected a city parking garage to the shops, cafes, and theatres that line Brand Boulevard.

?EUR??,,????'??Until the Chess Park was created, the passageway was not very welcoming,?EUR??,,????'?? explained Emil Tatevosian, who oversaw the project as the former senior redevelopment project administer with the City of Glendale?EUR??,,????'???s Development Services. ?EUR??,,????'??It wasn?EUR??,,????'???t a place where people gathered, except for the homeless, which created an unpleasant environment. We wanted an exciting and inviting space to accommodate the sizable workforce population in the area, the chess community, and pedestrian traffic.?EUR??,,????'??

 

By constructing Chess Park ?EUR??,,????'??? Glendale?EUR??,,????'???s first urban park ?EUR??,,????'??? a more pleasant and pedestrian-friendly thoroughfare was created where residents, visitors, and workers could come and relax and if it strikes their fancy, enjoy a game of chess.

Hunting For Innovation

With Glendale?EUR??,,????'???s population expected to increase by 10 percent from its current 200,000 residents, the city was on the hunt for innovative ways to maximize small spaces. The conversion of the passageway into a Chess Park became a cost-efficient means to tackle multiple issues: accommodate the city?EUR??,,????'???s large chess-playing contingent, improve a pedestrian thoroughfare, decrease vagrancy, increase Glendale?EUR??,,????'???s stock of open park space, and promote a vibrant, pedestrian-friendly street life.

To achieve these goals within a modest $540,000 budget, the city selected Rios Clementi Hale Studios?EUR??,,????'??+an interdisciplinary design firm that works on a unprecedented range of project types, including architecture, interiors, urban design, planning, landscape design, graphics, and product design. The firm developed an innovative design program that addressed these challenges, while also creating a rigorously tailored chess theme that celebrates the game.

?EUR??,,????'??When developing our design for the Chess Park, we were captivated by the history and evolution of the game and its pieces,?EUR??,,????'?? said Clementi. ?EUR??,,????'??We studied the folklore and playing rituals, and designed the park to reflect the very specific nuances and lexicon associated with the game of chess.?EUR??,,????'??

Moreover, the design presents the city an iconic community destination that offers an informal forum for performances, book readings, gatherings, and casual conversation.

?EUR??,,????'??We spent a lot of time talking to chess players, residents, and local businesses to determine what ingredients the park should have,?EUR??,,????'?? said Samantha Harris, ASLA, senior associate at Rios Clementi Hale Studios. ?EUR??,,????'??There was a strong desire for the park to have a mix of facilities that accommodated both chess players and people who live in and work in the community.?EUR??,,????'??

The design put forth a simple program that features five multi-purpose light towers, 16 concrete chess tables, a performance platform, bench seating, screen walls, and landscaping.

Inspired by Isamu Noguchi?EUR??,,????'???s famous lamps and Constantin Brancusi?EUR??,,????'???s abstract sculptures, Rios Clementi Hale Studios conceptualized the light towers as a reinterpretation of the modern-day shape of chess figurines. The sculptural shapes are intended to represent the evolution of five figurines throughout history?EUR??,,????'??+the King, Queen, Rook, Bishop, and Knight.

A performance platform in Chess Park is used for book and poetry readings and theatrical performances. Designers spent many hours talking with chess players, residents and business owners in Glendale who thought the park should have a mixture of facilities that accommodated both chess players and people in the community. The bases of the light towers, the performance platform, bench seating and various screen walls bordering the parks perimeter are all constructed with TREX, a recycled plastic and wood lumber product that is low-maintenance and durable.

Fabricating The Concept

Carlson & Co., a high-design, engineering, and fabricator company based in San Fernando, CA, was selected to engineer and fabricate the towers, allowing Rios Clementi Hale Studios?EUR??,,????'??? initial conceptual design to be seamlessly realized.

After the conceptual drawings were submitted to Carlson, three-dimensional models were generated in ACAD to create the desired shape and proportion, said Bryan Tjomsland, design department manager at Carlson & Co., who oversaw the fabrication and internal design of the chess towers. After being finalized, the drawings were sent to Carlson?EUR??,,????'???s in-house fabrication facility, which constructed the interior framework and assembled the towers.

The towers have an interior structural system made of a 6-inch diameter steel pole that runs vertically through the center, and multiple steel bracing tubes that radially extend outward from the center pole. The tubes define the shape of the towers, while the center pole acts as a mast to resist wind load. The central mast and braces allow internal illumination without the structure casting shadows on the fabric. Instead of paint, a powder coating was applied to the interior steel framework, creating a tougher, higher-quality surface, explained Tjomsland.

The steel structural frame is hidden from view within white synthetic mesh canvas formed in the shape of abstracted chess pieces. The fabric?EUR??,,????'??+by Ferrari-Soltis?EUR??,,????'??+was selected because of its weather-resistant qualities, its malleability, and for the warm glow of light it emits. Offsite, the mesh canvas fabric was sewn around each steel frame. It was connected to the bracing tubes with screws and strips of aluminum, which are concealed within the corners of the canvases.

After the canvases were attached, the frames were delivered back to Carlson where the towers were fully erected in the company?EUR??,,????'???s parking lot. Internal lights were installed and the base was clad in TREX, a recycled plastic and wood lumber product that?EUR??,,????'??+because it is low-maintenance and highly durable?EUR??,,????'??+was used as a primary material throughout the Chess Park. Once fully assembled, the light towers were delivered to the Chess Park via trucks, and installed on foundations. But, it was not without its challenges.

?EUR??,,????'??The Queen Tower was so large that it would not have been able to fit on the truck,?EUR??,,????'?? said Tjomsland. ?EUR??,,????'??The top part, the Queen?EUR??,,????'???s crown, was designed to be assembled separately on site.?EUR??,,????'??

To secure each tower into the ground, the center steel pole was bolted to 24?EUR??,,????'??-thick concrete pads with eight, _?EUR??,,????'?? anchor bolts. ?EUR??,,????'??It is an incredibly secure structural base,?EUR??,,????'?? said Tjomsland. Inside of the TREX bases, steel bracing distributes the loads from the pole to the foundation, creating a robust support.

Arrays of 110 VAC floodlights illuminate the upper portion of each tower from below. Due to their geometry, the Queen, Bishop, and Knight towers have additional lights shining downward from the top of the internal frame. The top of each tower is open to the sky.

Due to its positive qualities, TREX became a primary material in the Chess Park. The bases of the light towers, a performance platform, bench seating, and the various screen walls that border the park?EUR??,,????'???s perimeter are all constructed with Winchester Gray TREX. Its muted color gives the park a simple palette, allowing the light towers to be the most visually prominent element.

Isamu Noguchi?EUR??,,????'???s lamps and Constantine Brancusi?EUR??,,????'???s abstract sculptures inspired the design team at Rios Clementi Hale Studios in their conceptualization of the light towers as a reinterpretation of the modern-day shape of chess figurines.

Multi-Functional Light Sources

The towers were designed to be multi-functional?EUR??,,????'??+serving as sources of light, while also providing spaces for storage, signage, community performances and book readings. They were located in meaningful places around the park to represent the strategies and movements made in the game of chess.

For example, as a messenger, the Bishop Tower stands at the park?EUR??,,????'???s Brand Boulevard entrance, carrying signage on its base. At the same end of the park, the King Tower sits as a giant, story-telling throne where community members can engage in outreach activities, such as performances and book readings.

The Rook Tower, in the shape of an abstracted castle, is next to the stage, and provides storage and technical support for events. The Knight Tower stands near the park?EUR??,,????'???s north entrance, acting as a sentry and vigilantly protecting the park. Nearby, in the park?EUR??,,????'???s central ?EUR??,,????'??gaming zone,?EUR??,,????'?? the Queen Tower presides over 16 chess tables. The concrete chess tables feature regulation-quality chess boards with black-and-white inlaid tiles, which Rios Clementi Hale Studios designed in consultation with local chess club members.

To give clarity to the different design elements, the park is organized into three areas: the boulevard zone, which faces Brand Boulevard; the gaming zone, the center area with the chess tables; and the buffer zone, which borders the alley entrance. The buffer zone is landscaped with Cypress trees along the entrance, and white flowering perennials and shrubbery on the park?EUR??,,????'???s long walls. The TREX screen walls provide a comforting enclosure, offsetting the scale of the taller buildings that flank park on both sides. In the boulevard zone, the platform provides a space where musicians, actors, and artists can gather together and showcase their talents. A gray TREX wall folds up behind the platform to create a backdrop for performances. Low concrete benches with TREX tops provide seating for local workers to enjoy their lunches or coffee breaks.

BISHOP

QUEEN

ROOK

ABOVE: The central mast and braces in the structures allow internal illumination without the structure casting shadows on the fabric. The steel frame is hidden from view by white synthetic mesh canvas. The fabric was selected for its weather-resistant qualities, malleability, and for the warm glow of light it emits. Twenty-four inch thick concrete pads with eight anchor bolts were used to secure the center steel pole of each tower into the ground. Inside of the bases, steel bracing distributes the weight loads from the pole to the foundation.