ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT
Date: June 16, 1995
Dept. File No. 620 185
TO: Vancouver City Council
FROM: General Manager of Engineering Services in Consultation with
the Associate Director of Planning - Central Area and Director
- Office of Cultural Affairs
SUBJECT: Roundhouse Neighbourhood Public Art
CONSIDERATION
A. THAT Council approve installation of the public art selected
for Davie Street in Roundhouse Neighbourhood, acknowledging
that the work is in lieu of the Roundhouse CD-1 guidelines
for the treatment of the Davie Street end, and extends into
the Davie Street end view corridor;
B. THAT staff instruct the developer to prepare a revised Davie
street end and adjacent shoreline design which references the
art work and addresses any urban design concerns resulting
from its installation.
OR
C. That Council reaffirm the current urban design for the Davie
Street end including beacons, pavilions, and a pergola, and
confirm current views and walkway policies, acknowledging that
this will preclude the current public art proposal.
GENERAL MANAGER'S COMMENTS
The General Manager of Engineering Services submits A and B, or C
for Council's CONSIDERATION.
COUNCIL POLICY
In April, 1990, Council approved the False Creek North Official
Development Plan which requires that the development of False Creek
North preserve and create views, and defines a street end view corridor
south along the Davie Street alignment.
In October, 1991, Council approved both the False Creek North Conceptual
Shoreline Design and Waterfront Pedestrian/Bicycle Route Concept Plan
establishing design parameters for the shoreline walkway including a
standard width of 10.7m (35 ft).
In February 1922 (draft) and July 1993, Council adopted the Roundhouse
Neighbourhood CD-1 Guidelines which identified a specific urban design
concept for the foot of Davie Street to recognize it as a significant
public place with pedestrian interest.
In July 1992, the Quayside Sub-Area Issues Report was brought before
Council. Council did not support Concord Pacific's request to allow
marina berths in the Davie Street end view corridor, noting that the
preservation of open water and views had been a matter of considerable
public concern.
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In July, 1993, Concord Pacific Developments entered into the Roundhouse
Neighbourhood Public Art Agreement with the City for the provision of
public art in accordance with the City's public art policy. The City
Engineer has the responsibility to review public art located on
dedicated street.
PURPOSE
This report seeks Council's approval to proceed with public art selected
for the Davie Street end, because the work is a different interpretation
of the concept identified for Davie Street end in the approved design
guidelines, and encroaches into the view corridor.
BACKGROUND
Concord Pacific's approved public art process for Roundhouse
Neighbourhood has selected a major art work for the Davie Street end.
The developer's public art plan, artist call, and selection process (on
file with the City Clerk) were recommended by the Public Art Committee
and approved by staff. Concord Pacific has reviewed the resulting
(selected) art with reference to its development program, and accepted
it. Concord is now presenting the work to the City for technical
review, prior to commission.
The importance of the Davie Street end has been emphasized consistently
in the planning and zoning of False Creek North. Specifically as
described in the Roundhouse CD-1 Guidelines:
"Davie Street should terminate in a memorable treatment which
complements the character of the intersection of Davie and Denman
at English Bay. A matching pair of vertical elements should be
located on either side of Davie near the intersection to signal
this space which is further defined with a pergola and pavilions at
the shoreline walkway. A public art element may be considered in
the traffic circle. The building alignments and grade level
detailing of commercial uses on both sides of Davie should be
similar so as to enhance the identity of the street terminus."
Attached in Appendix A is a diagram from the CD-l Guidelines which shows
matching beacons on each side of the street north of the cul-de-sac with
a pergola and pavilions placed around the cul-de-sac, centred on the
street alignment and view. A public art installation at the centre of
the traffic circle as a central landmark in the view corridor is also
shown.
DISCUSSION
The selection of the public art has been delegated to the public art
process as mandated by City Council. Therefore, it is only appropriate
here to outline the physical characteristics of the art work that differ
from the approved design concept, or are a concern from a policy
perspective. The City Engineer is part of the approval process for this
art work, because it is sited on the shoreline walkway and the Davie
Street end, which are dedicated street areas.
The selected public art is proposed as an alternative to some features
and furnishings envisaged in the urban design concept. Rather than
being centred in the view corridor, as the guidelines propose, the art
work is sited to the west of the traffic circle and extends into the
west side of the view corridor. Because the art work differs from the
design guideline concepts, its installation would render some elements
proposed in the guidelines unnecessary. Accordingly, the developer
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would be required to prepare an adjacent shoreline/walkway plan that
addresses any resulting urban design concerns.
Figure 1 shows the siting of the public art on the shoreline walkway,
about 7.5m (25 ft.) from the stairs between the sidewalk and the walkway
at the end of Davie Street. The piece consists of six identical towers
constructed of structural bronze to a height of 12m (39.4 ft.) Each of
the three pairs of towers supports a bronze grid. Perforated bronze
panels (approximately 4 ft. by 8 ft.) and frosted glass panels are
distributed over one third of the surface of the grid. The work is
about 16m (52 ft.) in length.
Subject to Council's approval of the art work, it is recommended that
the detailed shoreline design developed for the area complement and
accommodate the art work. Council should direct staff to instruct the
developer to prepare a shoreline design which references the art work
and addresses any urban design modifications required as a result of the
removal of the pergola and beacons. The final design for the area would
be brought to Council along with all details of the seawall/walkway for
approval.
The art work's placement on the seawall also narrows the approved width
of the shared walkway/bikeway from 10.7m (35 ft.) to 7.5m (25 ft.). In
practical terms, this is less of a concern because the obstructed area
is very short and the structure of the art work can
be walked through. The effect on pedestrians and cyclists along the
seawalk would be minimal.
COMMENTS OF THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT
The intent of the urban design concept for Davie Street end is to
highlight its location, frame and preserve the view and facilitate
pedestrian scale, interest and comfort. The public art feature in the
traffic circle helps break down the large area of the cul-de-sac.
This strong urban design concept is important in managing the quality
and feel of the cul-de-sac, emphasizing the stature of the street and
this key terminus, and highlighting and focusing a view that can be
enjoyed well inland on the peninsula. Without commenting on the
artistic merits of the public art piece, it is the opinion of Planning
staff that it does not serve the important urban design intentions that
have long been articulated nor does it offer a better alternative. It
is too remote from the cul-de-sac; it is off alignment as a view feature
yet enough within the view to be intrusive; and it leaves the cul-de-sac
basically incomplete as a pedestrian place.
Planning staff are also concerned about the art selection process. City
staff who could have articulated the intent and importance of the urban
design objectives from the public interest were not part of the process.
A secondary concern is that the pubic art structure is significant in
scale and, as shown in Figure 1, its location results in a narrowing of
the envisaged view corridor, which may be seen as an intrusion. While
the structures proposed in the urban design schemes for the Davie Street
end would also have been located within
the view shed, their symmetrical siting was seen as a framing of the
view and they were to have been designed as light see-through elements.
They would also have drawn the pedestrian to the edge of the slope to
emphasize the prospect beyond. Planning staff believe the area is
better served if completed consistently with the approved guidelines
with the proposed public art considered for another location and the
original concept of public art at the centre of the cul-de-sac to be
pursued instead.
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COMMENTS OF THE OFFICE OF CULTURAL AFFAIRS
The Davie Street end design has long been regarded by Cultural Affairs
and the developer as a major public art opportunity, and it was approved
as such in the Roundhouse Neighbourhood Public Art Plan. However, the
extent to which the ODP Design Guidelines for the street end are open to
artistic interpretation appears to be the real subject of this report.
The Planning Department comments above suggest a strict adherence to its
design is required to meet the street end urban design requirements.
Cultural Affairs staff join the Public Art Committee, the developer, and
a highly qualified independent selection panel in believing the Design
Guidelines can be artistically interpreted through the public art
process, in ways that meet urban design requirements. We believe the
selected art work is proof that good public art can contribute to good
urban design.
A. The Public Art Process
This work resulted from an international artist call that produced 340
expressions of interest. Five artists prepared detailed proposals in
response to the Design Guidelines. Only one, not selected, offered a
literal interpretation of elements in the Planning Department design.
The selection panel unanimously preferred the selected design to all
other interpretations.
B. The Selection Panel
The selection process was expert but independent; informed by City and
developer concerns, but controlled by neither. The selection panel was
weighted in favour of architecture and urban design: Concord's chief
urban designer, Barry Downs; architect/project manager Peter Webb; and
landscape architect (and former Seattle Arts Commissioner) Barbara
Swift. The other panellists were Mendel Art Gallery chief curator Bruce
Grenville, and local artist and teacher Anne Ramsden.
C. Interpreting the Design Guidelines
The art work articulates a contemporary vision for Davie Street and
differs from the Planning Department design. But, far from being
problematic, Cultural Affairs staff share the selection panel's
enthusiasm for its artistic and urban design responses to the
guidelines. We also believe that more acquaintance with the work
reveals its success in meeting the urban design concerns noted by
Planning above. Staff will let others speak to the work's artistic
values, which are inseparable from its urban design functions, and focus
on the urban design concerns.
D. The View Corridor
The art work enters the view corridor differently than the Planning
Department design, and is arguably less intrusive than the beacons and
pergola that scheme proposes. An edge of the art work may be seen in
the view corridor from well inland, west of Pacific Boulevard, at a
scale in keeping with the development creating that corridor. The work
is engaged progressively as the viewer moves down to the traffic circle,
where its open structure creates and contributes to views. No street-
level views are blocked for cars or pedestrians.
E. Pedestrian Interaction
The art work's walk-through structure draws people to the water's edge,
provides pedestrian scale, and contributes to bike/pedestrian separation
at this busy point. Its promontory over the seawall, its roman
numerals, its time-dependent shadows and other elements on the ground,
provide multi-level daytime pedestrian interest. Some of these elements
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subtly refer to the sun-dial at the Davie-Denman intersection (a
connection suggested in the design guidelines). The illumination of the
art work's images at dusk will, as during the day, encourage cars to
slow down and will also add night-time interest and distinction to the
site.
F. Other Concerns
Finally, nothing about the installation of this art work precludes a
shoreline walkway treatment (still to be detailed) that addresses any
remaining urban design concerns. Cultural Affairs staff recommend that
such treatment respect the art work's multi-level artistic functions and
its own urban design contribution.
Cultural Affairs staff believe the challenge here is for the City to
follow the developer's lead in accepting bold public art for a key
public place. City support now will enrich Vancouver in many ways. Not
least of these will be our openness to expert community input, and new
ideas. At a time of rethinking City government and public process, this
signals our developing capacity to embrace unexpected solutions, the
best of which, as here, connect not just to site and urban design
particulars, but to the larger dimensions of our culture.
CONCLUSION
Due to previous Council decisions on the Davie Street end (through
adoption of the guidelines) and on the street end view (in adopting the
ODP and during the Quayside process), staff feel that Council should
advise on the siting of the proposed public art installation and direct
staff to instruct the developer to develop an adjacent shoreline with
reference to the artwork. If Council does not approve the artwork,
Concord must seek alternatives for the public art investment, in the
traffic circle or elsewhere in the neighbourhood. Should Council
approve the location, it should instruct staff to work with the
developer to prepare a revised street end and shoreline design
accommodating the art work and the City's urban design objectives.
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