YORK-WELLINGTON CIVIC SPACE
YORK-WELLINGTON CIVIC SPACE
CLIENT
City of London
LOCATION
London, Ontario
DESIGN TEAM
Arthur Lierman Landscape Architecture
Parterre Landscape Design Associates
The City of London design guidelines for this highly visible gateway corner leading into downtown London stipulated that it be a transitional and temporary civic space ‘installation’; not a parkette. The ‘installation’ was to furnish a Forest City theme employing modular elements that could be reutilized after the expected lifespan of the space expires in 5 – 7 years, have no seating, and to be visually engaging and relatively maintenance-free year-round.
A collection of familiar downtown fixtures, including the white ‘flower pot’ urns and metal trees, were refurbished and arranged in overlapping grids, providing a shifting sense of movement through the space and establishing a structured order. Thirteen metal trees, representing southern Ontario tree species and embodying a Forest City reference, were painted cobalt blue and organized into three distinct Ontario tree zones to form a legible and compelling grove that anchors the space. The white urns are festooned with seasonal displays throughout the year and during the evening hours the powered urns glow illuminating and animating the civic space that invite interaction and engage the public realm.
RELATED PROJECTS
RELATED PROJECTS
