crenellated habitat · 2020. 7. 15. · crenellated habitat by tony bloom the whispering grasses...

CrenellatedHabitatbyTonyBloom

TheWhisperingGrassesWalkwayspansJohnLaurieBoulevardbetweenBriseboisDriveandCharleswoodDriveN.W.

CrenellatedHabitatconsistsoftwocurvedpanelsplacedateachendofthepedestrianbridgewhichcreateacurvedfunnelontheconcreteapproach.Imagesrelatingtothenaturalenvironmentofthesitewereappliedintothecurvedsurfacesusingsandblasting,grinders,inscribers,scalars,plasmacutsandlayering.

Connectiontothecommunity

TheDr.E.W.CoffinElementarySchoolhasacloseconnectiontoNoseHillPark--theschooladoptedtheWhisperingWoodsthroughtheCity'sAdopt-a-Parkprogramin1995,andwroteletterstotheWardAldermanvoicingtheirsupportforafuturepedestrianoverpass.Whenbuildingontheoverpassbegan,theschoolincludedtripstosketchtheongoing

constructionoftheoverpassaspartoftheircurriculum.TheschoolalsoworkedwiththeBrentwoodCommunityAssociationtoshowtheirinterestinsubmittinganamefortheoverpassstructure.TheireffortsresultedintheJohnLauriepedestrianoverpassbeingnamedtheWhisperingGrassesWalkway.

TheArtist

TonyBloomworksatStonecrop,hisstudioinCanmore,Alberta,producingcopper,bronze,steel,ceramic,concrete,andplazasculpture.HehashadexhibitionsalloverNorthAmericaincludingVancouver,Ottawa,Arizona,NewYork,andSanFrancisco,aswellasmanyinternationalshowingssuchasinBarcelona,SpainandMino,Japan.HisawardsincludetheMayor'sAwardforExcellence(Canmore),aCanadianSocietyofLandscapeArchitectsMeritAward,SpecialRecognitionfromtheEdmontonUrbanDesignAwardsProgram,aProvinceofAlbertaAchievementAward,threeCanadaCouncilAwards,anAlbertaDesignCompetitionAwardandmanymore.

TheProject

• Theartistwaschosenthroughanopencallprocessin2005,whereallinterestedartistsareinvitedtosubmitanapplicationforfourdecorativepanelsand/orrailingstoflankeithersideoftheJohnLauriePedestrianOverpass.

• ThebudgetforCrenellatedHabitatwas$75,000.• TheprojectwasacollaborativeinitiativebythePublicArtProgramandCityofCalgaryTransportation

Infrastructure,thebusinessunitsponsor.• Thecapitalprojectwhichprovidedthefundingwastheconstructionof

theJohnLauriePedestrianOverpass.• TheJohnLauriePedestrianOverpasswascompletedinAugust2005.