HADDAD | DRUGAN

This art plan for the downtown area of a rapidly growing city with an economy based in technology locates art in specific downtown locations through a “System of Conductors,” comprised of art elements called Circuits, Nodes, Interfaces, and Synapses.

“Circuits” consist of linear bands of integrated art running primarily through the signature street corridors, in which an artist takes a functional piece of the streetscape, such as sidewalk paving or pedestrian lighting, and treats it artistically.  A different typology, or theme, characterizes each Circuit:  water, landscape, shopping, entertainment, commerce, and civic.  The Circuits intersect, run parallel, intertwine, and build upon each other.

“Nodes” are stand-alone or integrated art projects, either artist-implemented or design team collaborations.  Art Nodes explore and highlight a single typology within the System of Conductors (water, landscape, shopping, entertainment, commerce, and civic). A ring of landscape-based art Nodes encircles the downtown core, conceived as green gateways and tying into Bellevue’s motto of a “city in a park.”  

“Interfaces” are major artworks at significant street intersections, to be realized through design team collaborations. They occur at gathering spaces where various Circuits intersect, and are conceived as couplers and jumpers, places of transfer between the different themes of the Circuits.  At each Interface, one theme is dominant.

“Synapses” are a special category of art that applies to the pedestrian bridges.  These artworks will be lighting, and/or electronic based, and are not necessarily linked with the specific themes that identify the Circuits, Interfaces, and Nodes.

The art plan was completed by Haddad|Drugan in collaboration with Mithun, and included numerous public meetings to solicit community input.  The art is seamlessly integrated into street corridor designs and a toolkit for the overall Downtown Bellevue Great Streets Streetscape Plan.