Western Australian Sites
Peninsula Development - Circular Park, Plaza and Lake
overview / images / location
HASSELL
Location: Burswood, WA
In all the artworks designed so far for the Peninsula Development, there have been different ideas or thrusts that have gone into the mix. Key ideas about referencing the history of the site and particularly early river use, have been a constant design idea. There has also been a need to maintain a contemporary feel to the developing artworks in order to project a clean bold and urbane image in line with the developing built form.
The Lake Park Artwork
The Lake Park artwork is no different in this contributing mix of design thrusts. The site is particularly suited to artworks that reference the river by interacting with the water body to directly evoke riverine images. An image that has been in mind when developing the artwork is the imaginary scene of camping, or stopping by the rivers edge, lighting a fire amongst the Paper Barks that reach out over the water; resting, waiting before moving on again. At times, only on the tops of the branches catch the first or last rays of a low and yellow sun.
With this proposed artwork geometry and angular steel work replace the living trees, but the organic arrangement remains, creating a small but powerful place to stop and wait; a place to lean and look around. Light at the extremities of the steel forms create something of the presence of camp fires. These golden reflective ends, slotted with a laser cut ripple motif, do indeed reflect the last rays of a yellow sun.
But there are not trees, not wood, but as with all the artworks, create forms that carve out spaces to move through. This work also uses a developed palette of high key painted steel forms, geometric in their regularity but with additional organic twists and interesting manipulation. Importantly the artwork is low key and visually economic, allowing the lake and the weir to remain the key point of interest. The artwork acts as a landmark for the general site, adding interest through lighting at night and into the day with colour and reflections, and creates a space along the bridge from which to look around and move through.
Circular Park ‘Moored’ Artwork
The peninsula development called for artworks to be incorporated into the landscape in such a way that both the signature contemporary nature of the new development was addressed, and to give insight into the history of the site, in particular a canal that once cut through the peninsula connecting two points of the river.
The artist took the history of the canal as a starting point but was keen to create a new imaginative work of sculptural excitement rather than to create a didactic illustration of the history. In this sense the artist tried to create a work that both spoke of the history, but created a history for itself in forming a signature artwork for the circular park
The sculptural form was loosely based on an imagined shallow hulled river boat moored against the river bank and tethered to trees. The hull is in the act of being loaded and leans to take the weight of goods. Key to this work is the viewers movement through the work and their position looking up through the imaginary water below to the hull form cantilevered above.
Consideration of alignment and heights was crucial to develop a work significant in scale for the park, but with sympathetic placement in terms of views through to the city. Bright colours give the work liveliness consistent with the bright and contemporary nature of the development.
The artist worked in close collaboration with Parise Steel in order to achieve the flowing twists and curves that were only achievable in the studio on a smaller scale. Working with quality fabricators liberated the artist to explore forms of a scale and ambition not previously attempted in the artist’s career.
The artist was able to work directly into scale models, by passing initial sketches. The models were then modelled in CAD by the artist with this model forming the base from which detailed tender drawings were produced.
Plaza Artwork
A second work based on the boat hull idea sits on the corner site addressing the street corner and embracing and visually sheltering the café/pedestrian zone.
Overview
Landscape Architect and Artist role for mixed use high density development with a final population of 3000 residents.
Special Factors
Integrated development utilising the skills of owner/developer, architect, landscape architect and expert consultancy teams.
Artist and Landscape Architect engaged to conceive and develop artwork strategies.
Artist - Stuart Green.
HASSELL
overview / images / location
April 2008
