MONDAY, JUNE 4, 2012
Volume 11 Issue 175
Santa Monica Daily Press
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THE PARK IT ISSUE
Park sculpture more than just a pretty face BY ASHLEY ARCHIBALD Daily Press Staff Writer
CITY HALL The world’s most memorable public spaces gain acclaim not simply for the beauty of their natural surroundings but the appeal of their manmade elements. In 2010, five respected minds of the Los Angeles art community and a New York landscape architect gathered to begin the difficult process of selecting such a piece for Palisades Garden Walk, a $47 million space overlooking the Pacific Ocean near Downtown Santa Monica. City officials sent invitations to 20 artists, 14 of whom indicated their desire to participate. In 2012, the City Council approved $440,200 for a piece that the panel believes will be a daring addition to an iconic location, although both remain two-dimensional images waiting to be brought to fruition. The piece is tentatively entitled “Weather Field.” It consists of 49 poles extending 20 feet into the air capped with contraptions that under normal circumstances would measure wind direction and speed. The weather instrumentation will move under the power of the sea breezes, each influencing the direction of the air like the runnels of the park itself to create a small microclimate in the air above the site. Just as its harsh, geometric design stands in sharp relief to the undulating hills and twisting paths envisioned in the park, the turning weather devices are meant to evoke a flock of creatures, each subtly affected by its neighbor. That was the vision that artist Inigo Manglano-Ovalle presented to the panel of experts in late 2010 as he and four others that had made it to the top five competed for the opportunity to erect their work in what officials hope will be Santa Monica’s signature park. With only a conceptual drawing and the power of his conviction, Manglano-Ovalle captured the imagination of the panelists, SEE SCULPTURE PAGE 7
Daniel Archuleta daniela@smdp.com
AS IT IS: A play area located in the southern part of the city will soon be transformed into a universally accessible playground.
Accessible playground design tweaked BY ASHLEY ARCHIBALD Daily Press Staff Writer
CITY HALL City officials have revised plans for a new playground planned for the south end of Santa Monica’s waterfront to mollify neighbors who felt the original design would attract the homeless and cause traffic problems. The 20,000-square-foot playground, designed for the enjoyment of children with special needs as well as typical children, has a nautical motif featuring a buried clipper ship with white sails to evoke Santa Monica’s seaport history. It also includes rubberized mats with ripples to create the illusion of water, swings, rolling bars and climbing nets as well as a captain’s wheel and musical instruments for children of all abilities. Residents of Sea Colony, a gated condo-
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minium complex with ‘round the clock security near the proposed playground, came to the Jan. 10 City Council meeting to oppose the design on the grounds of safety. Commenters said that the proximity of the Marvin Braude Beach Bike Path was a hazard to children, who could easily be mowed down by an unwary bicyclist, and that traffic backup on Barnard Way would cause major problems. The most prevalent concern, however, was that homeless people would sleep in the hollow boat. One even mentioned the potential biohazard of the homeless having sex in the ship where children would later play. In response, staff modified the design by lowering the height of the ship’s prow by 9 inches and putting bigger openings in the hull to increase visibility. The shade structures and sails were also reduced, and the
sails changed from white to either blue or green. Gone also are a number of musical instruments like low-decibel drums that residents believed would make too much noise. The new design represents a compromise that preserves custom elements that make the playground unique and special, said Karen Ginsberg, director of Community and Cultural Services for City Hall. “I think we did reach a good balance,” Ginsberg said. “We retained features that were most important to the community while meeting the Sea Colony neighbors concerns.” Although the instruments are gone, other sensory elements and touch surfaces remain to engage children in ways that SEE DESIGN PAGE 7
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