HADDAD | DRUGAN

Botanica is a piece for the Greenbridge development in Seattle's White Center neighborhood. Greenbridge will ultimately include 1000 units of mixed-income housing, as well as parks, trails, retail, a library, a community center, and a school. Many of the residents are new immigrants.

Botanica is a series of stainless steel and anodized aluminum cylinders located in Greenbridge’s largest park.  An image of a tropical flower native to a country from which residents have emigrated is etched into each cylinder top, along with its latin name and a map identifying the country of origin.  The common cylindrical form represents similarities of the residents, while the flowers represent differences. Together the cylinders create a social space for neighborhood interaction, serving as both seating and play elements. 

The piece also includes a garden shed, by Haddad|Drugan, that serves Greenbridge's community gardens.  Passionflower vines will grow up its sides, and a sculptural drainpipe carries stormwater from the roof, across the trail, to one of the cylinders. These features connect the actual community garden to the metaphoric botanic garden.