AMARANTH ART SQUARE:
[landscape scale]
The seasonal highlights of varying plants (including perennials and bulbs, shrubs, grasses, and trees) ensure a perpetual point of interest throughout the year. The life cycle of plants provides an educational opportunity, as well as filling this "art square" with color and experiential spaces. A rain garden collects water from the butterfly roof, streaming down a rock face. Ultimately some of the rain runoff is stored in a cistern while the excess drains off into the rain garden. The rooms, hallway, and transitional pathways break down the landscape into a sequence of spaces with assorted experiential moments. The juxtaposition of the meadow, perennials, and trees encourages this choreographed experience.
Extending this theme beyond this single lot into the "square" establishes a complex and interconnected network of spatial nodes such as the Amaranth Cafe, the yard adjoining the cafe, Amaranth Alley, and the Express Yourself Pop-up park. Ultimately this iconic site will draw attention of those who normally pass by Lisbon Avenue without a second glance and transform this area into a destination point for Milwaukee residents, unify neighbors by serving as a public space for all ages, gender, race and ethnicity. Local artist Muneer Bahauddeen speaks of a renaissance that is reinvigorating this neighborhood. The landscape development is the first step to celebrate the resurgence of art in the Washington Park neighborhood.
Extending this theme beyond this single lot into the "square" establishes a complex and interconnected network of spatial nodes such as the Amaranth Cafe, the yard adjoining the cafe, Amaranth Alley, and the Express Yourself Pop-up park. Ultimately this iconic site will draw attention of those who normally pass by Lisbon Avenue without a second glance and transform this area into a destination point for Milwaukee residents, unify neighbors by serving as a public space for all ages, gender, race and ethnicity. Local artist Muneer Bahauddeen speaks of a renaissance that is reinvigorating this neighborhood. The landscape development is the first step to celebrate the resurgence of art in the Washington Park neighborhood.
A sample of possible plants according to seasonal highlights:
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Site Plan
This site plan focuses on one of the empty lots to emphasize how change can improve this intersection. The empty green spaces can begin to incorporate programs such as an outdoor pavilion, extension of the farmers market with stalls, outdoor play area for children, and other possible types of ecological habitats.
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A detailed plant list for the meadow, perennials and bulbs, trees, and a rain garden.
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Concept: By bumping out the street, narrowing its width, removing parking lanes, framing the sidewalks with trees, and laying out brick masonry on the road, this streetscape design seeks to slow down traffic.
Benefits: By slowing down the traffic the street becomes a safer pace, the area is marked as a unique destination, and commuters’ attention is drawn towards the "Art Square." |
Consulted Landscape Architect Cynthia Anderson to discuss ideas and types of plantings.