Citygarden
Encyclopedia
Citygarden is an urban park
and sculpture garden
in St. Louis
, Missouri
owned by the City of St. Louis but maintained by the Gateway Foundation. It is located between Eighth, Tenth, Market, and Chestnut streets, in the city's "Gateway Mall
" area. Before being converted to a garden and park, the site comprised two empty blocks of grass. Citygarden was dedicated on June 30, 2009, and opened one day later, on July 1, 2009.
Citygarden is 2.9 acres (1.2 ha) in size—occupying two square city blocks—and cost US$30 million to develop. St. Louis' Gateway Foundation, a not-for-profit organization supporting public art, funded the design and construction of the garden. While the city owns the land on which Citygarden was developed, the foundation owns the statues and covers all park maintenance costs except water and electricity. The Gateway Foundation is also in charge of providing additional security for the garden.
There is no admission fee for visitors of Citygarden, which is located close to St. Louis' Gateway Arch
and Busch Stadium
. The park is open year-round and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
.
work was installed outside St. Louis Union Station. This later became one end of the mall when it was created in the 1960s, with the Gateway Arch on the other end. In 1982, Richard Serra
's Twain—a sculpture comprising eight large plates of weathering steel—was installed in a 1.14 acre (0.46134204 ha) lot immediately west of Citygarden, creating Serra Sculpture Park.
In the late 1990s, a group of St. Louis residents drew up a plan for a revitalized downtown, which included a sculpture garden at the same two blocks where Citygarden is located. That plan was not immediately realized, but in 2006, the City of St. Louis asked the Gateway Foundation to prepare a master plan for the entire Gateway Mall strip. In early 2007, the foundation sponsored a competition, soliciting designs for the planned project; Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, a Charlottesville
, Virginia
landscape architecture
firm, was the winner. The partnership to develop Citygarden was announced in June 2007. The project was initially proposed to the St. Louis Preservation Board in October 2007, while development of the land began in April 2008. Over 250,000 people visited Citygarden before Christmas
, 2009, a figure that has since risen to an estimated one million or more. However, because Citygarden has no gates, there is no official visitor count.
At the dedication of Citygarden, Mayor of St. Louis Francis G. Slay
praised the project, saying, "This new garden is immediately taking its place among the great cultural attractions of St. Louis for residents and visitors alike. It's dazzling, and its complete openness in the heart of downtown makes it unique in the country." In front of local and state officials, as well as the media, Slay told workers at the park's control center to turn on the fountains and tear down the construction fence. On the opening day of Citygarden, city officials asked an ice cream truck to park near the garden to attract tourists, but many visitors arrived at the park regardless.
A celebration for Citygarden's one-year anniversary was held on July 10, 2010. The festivities included a flamingo parade—meant to "express the irreverent and whimsical spirit of the garden," said park spokesperson Paul Wagman.
Rocco Landesman
, chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts
, has used Citygarden as an example of a successful foundation-funded art venture. Landesman—a former resident of St. Louis—said that such projects can help urban areas economically, but they cannot be funded solely by the federal government, thus requiring assistance from both the private sector
and foundations. Michael Van Valkenburgh
, principal of a Brooklyn
landscape architecture firm, said he was drawn to St. Louis partly because of Citygarden's design and success. Van Valkenburgh was selected in 2010 to renovate the grounds of the Gateway Arch.
, Keith Haring
, Aristide Maillol
, Laura Ford
, Tony Smith
, Jim Dine
, Kan Yasuda, Bernar Venet, Mark di Suvero
, Niki de Saint Phalle
, Tom Otterness
, Tom Claassen, Jack Youngerman
, Ju Ming
, Jean-Michel Folon
, Mimmo Paladino
, Jonathan Clarke, Donald Baechler
, and Martin Puryear
. One statue, by Igor Mitoraj
, features a large bronze head laying on its side, while a work by Julian Opie
comprises digital screens displaying walking people. Park visitors are allowed to touch the sculptures and even walk inside them. This means, however, that some of the works require more frequent maintenance, such as re-waxing. The sculptures range in medium from various metals—bronze, stainless steel
, and cast aluminum
—fiberglass
and even polyester
.
The Gateway Foundation already owned two of the two dozen pieces prior to Citygarden's creation, and it purchased the remaining number between 2006 and 2009. The organization has not revealed the cost of acquiring the sculptures, an amount not included in the $30 million; however, it is estimated that the collection is worth around $12 million, if not more. The garden has received criticism from those who think that 24 sculptures is too many in such a small space.
s, a 102-fountain "spray plaza" in which children can play, as well as a 180 feet (54.9 m)-long pool with a 6 feet (1.8 m)-tall waterfall. The fountain's water is recycled, and filtered rainwater is also used. A low, winding, 1110 feet (338.3 m)-long, granite
-topped "meander wall" runs through the park's southern half and acts as seating for visitors. In the northern half, a 550 feet (167.6 m)-long curved wall of yellow Missouri limestone
stretches across the property. A 16 feet (4.9 m) LED
video screen is on the wall; it displays movies and artworks, as well as some baseball games—including the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
. In October 2009, two films—"The Way Things Go" by Peter Fischli & David Weiss
, and Gordon Matta-Clark
's "Conical Intersect"—were featured on the video wall, running a total of 50 minutes. Previously, the video wall had displayed a series of nine short films focused on humor and the absurdity of life. The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis
, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum
at Washington University in St. Louis
, Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, and Saint Louis Art Museum
take turns updating the shows at each quarter.
Visitors to Citygarden can listen to an audio tour by dialing a special number on their mobile phones. The tour is narrated by prominent St. Louis residents, including former St. Louis Cardinals
player Ozzie Smith
and St. Louis Symphony Orchestra director David Robertson, as well as Jackie Joyner-Kersee
, John Ashcroft
, Jenna Fischer
, and Kurt Warner
, with over twenty narrators in all.
s, and spacious sidewalks, features that Warren Byrd of Nelson Byrd Woltz said could be adapted by other sections of the Gateway Mall. Originally, the Citygarden site had an elevation of 6 feet (1.8 m), but architects increased it to 10 feet (3 m) in certain areas, placing the restaurant and maintenance shed on the higher ground.
The park is divided into three horizontal sections, and architects considered the rivers and other natural characteristics of the St. Louis area when designing the park. The northern limestone wall represents the Mississippi River
bluffs, while the southern snaking meander wall stands is inspired by the region's waterways. Between the two zones are the rain gardens, larger trees, and larger sculptures, an area that meant to represent a floodplain
. The main paths of the park were plotted to match the locations of alleyways that park designers saw in a 1916 Sanborn map.
Citygarden's plants, including various grasses and wildflowers, were selected by the Missouri Botanical Garden
. Large shade plants were chosen to provide relief in warm and humid weather. At the time of its opening, Citygarden comprised a total of 240 trees, 1,100 shrubs, 4,000 perennials, 8,000 bulbs, and 13,000 groundcover
s. A garden spokesperson later said that hungry rabbits have forced workers to alter some of the plant choices.
In early 2011, Citygarden was named one of five finalists for the Urban Land Institute
Amanda Burden
Urban Open Space Award. The award, named after its creator, is given to a public open space that has contributed to its surrounding community. Citygarden competed for the $10,000 prize against Portland
, Oregon
's Director Park
and Jamison Square
, as well as Discovery Green
and the Raymond and Susan Brochstein Pavilion of Houston
, Texas
. The institute said that Citygarden "draws on St. Louis' chief natural feature—its rivers ... has attracted diverse users, catalyzed nearby development, and changed perceptions of downtown. Situated on two blocks of the underutilized Gateway Mall, the active sculpture garden has drawn an estimated one million visitors since its opening." On May 19, 2011, the Urban Land Institute announced Citygarden as the winner of the award at a ceremony in Phoenix
, Arizona
. In a statement, Slay said, "This is a really wonderful honor for the City of St. Louis and for the Gateway Foundation. ULI chose Citygarden from among 48 applicants across the country. The decision will bring flattering and well-deserved national attention both to the garden and to the City of St. Louis." The award was accepted in Phoenix by Rodney Crim, director of the St. Louis Development Corporation, on behalf of the city and the Gateway Foundation.
Jim Fiala
, the Terrace View opened on August 19, 2009 with Chris Bork as chef. At the time of its opening, Fiala estimated the eatery would produce between $600,000 and $800,000 in revenue each year. The Terrace View employs about 30 workers.
The 3000 square foot Terrace View building was designed by Philip Durham of Studio Durham Architects. It has three glass walls that face the garden and is located near the intersection of Eighth and Chestnut streets. Durham called his design a "Miesian glass box," similar to the stye of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
. The restaurant's roof—as well as the roof of maintenance building—is covered with Sedum
species, meant to decrease energy costs. Inside the Terrace View, Niki de Saint Phalle's sculpture Adam and Eve sits in the middle of the dining floor.
The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Including both indoor and outdoor seating, the Terrace View accommodates up to 120 patrons and focuses on dishes created locally—within 150 miles (241.4 km) of its location—as well as Italian and French cuisine. In December 2010, Terrace View chef Nick Cox narrowed the original Mediterranean-themed menu, focusing more on Northern Italian cuisine. Called "Acero on the Terrace" after Fiala's Acero
restaurant in Maplewood, Missouri
, the menu still retains dishes made from locally grown produce, including the "50-Mile Salad"—composed of ingredients from within 50 miles (80.5 km) of the Terrace View.
Fiala was referred to the Gateway Foundation by the president of a local catering company, and the foundation later asked him to run the Terrace View. A foundation spokesperson said that the "Gateway Foundation board sorted through a lot of different candidates, and they were thrilled to find one who was perfect." Fiala had wanted to open the Terrace View before the 2009 All-Star Game, but was forced to delay in order to settle contracts and have a liquor license
approved. The establishment was originally scheduled to open on July 1, the same day as Citygarden's opening and two weeks before the game.
Urban park
An urban park, is also known as a municipal park or a public park, public open space or municipal gardens , is a park in cities and other incorporated places to offer recreation and green space to residents of, and visitors to, the municipality...
and sculpture garden
Sculpture garden
A sculpture garden is an outdoor garden dedicated to the presentation of sculpture, usually several permanently sited works in durable materials in landscaped surroundings....
in St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
owned by the City of St. Louis but maintained by the Gateway Foundation. It is located between Eighth, Tenth, Market, and Chestnut streets, in the city's "Gateway Mall
St. Louis Gateway Mall
The St. Louis Gateway Mall in St. Louis, Missouri is a linear park one block wide running from the Gateway Arch at Memorial Drive to Union Station at 20th Street. It runs between Market Street and Chestnut Street.-Early History:...
" area. Before being converted to a garden and park, the site comprised two empty blocks of grass. Citygarden was dedicated on June 30, 2009, and opened one day later, on July 1, 2009.
Citygarden is 2.9 acres (1.2 ha) in size—occupying two square city blocks—and cost US$30 million to develop. St. Louis' Gateway Foundation, a not-for-profit organization supporting public art, funded the design and construction of the garden. While the city owns the land on which Citygarden was developed, the foundation owns the statues and covers all park maintenance costs except water and electricity. The Gateway Foundation is also in charge of providing additional security for the garden.
There is no admission fee for visitors of Citygarden, which is located close to St. Louis' Gateway Arch
Gateway Arch
The Gateway Arch, or Gateway to the West, is an arch that is the centerpiece of the Jefferson National Expansion Memorial in St. Louis, Missouri. It was built as a monument to the westward expansion of the United States...
and Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium
Busch Stadium is the home of the St. Louis Cardinals, of MLB...
. The park is open year-round and complies with the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 is a law that was enacted by the U.S. Congress in 1990. It was signed into law on July 26, 1990, by President George H. W. Bush, and later amended with changes effective January 1, 2009....
.
History
Public art is not new to the Gateway Mall. In 1940, a large Carl MillesCarl Milles
Carl Milles was a Swedish sculptor, best known for his fountains. He was married to artist Olga Milles and brother to Ruth Milles and half brother to the architect Evert Milles...
work was installed outside St. Louis Union Station. This later became one end of the mall when it was created in the 1960s, with the Gateway Arch on the other end. In 1982, Richard Serra
Richard Serra
Richard Serra is an American minimalist sculptor and video artist known for working with large-scale assemblies of sheet metal. Serra was involved in the Process Art Movement.-Early life and education:...
's Twain—a sculpture comprising eight large plates of weathering steel—was installed in a 1.14 acre (0.46134204 ha) lot immediately west of Citygarden, creating Serra Sculpture Park.
In the late 1990s, a group of St. Louis residents drew up a plan for a revitalized downtown, which included a sculpture garden at the same two blocks where Citygarden is located. That plan was not immediately realized, but in 2006, the City of St. Louis asked the Gateway Foundation to prepare a master plan for the entire Gateway Mall strip. In early 2007, the foundation sponsored a competition, soliciting designs for the planned project; Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects, a Charlottesville
Charlottesville, Virginia
Charlottesville is an independent city geographically surrounded by but separate from Albemarle County in the Commonwealth of Virginia, United States, and named after Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Strelitz, the queen consort of King George III of the United Kingdom.The official population estimate for...
, Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
landscape architecture
Landscape architecture
Landscape architecture is the design of outdoor and public spaces to achieve environmental, socio-behavioral, or aesthetic outcomes. It involves the systematic investigation of existing social, ecological, and geological conditions and processes in the landscape, and the design of interventions...
firm, was the winner. The partnership to develop Citygarden was announced in June 2007. The project was initially proposed to the St. Louis Preservation Board in October 2007, while development of the land began in April 2008. Over 250,000 people visited Citygarden before Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
, 2009, a figure that has since risen to an estimated one million or more. However, because Citygarden has no gates, there is no official visitor count.
At the dedication of Citygarden, Mayor of St. Louis Francis G. Slay
Francis G. Slay
Francis G. Slay is the forty-fifth mayor of St. Louis .- Education and early career :...
praised the project, saying, "This new garden is immediately taking its place among the great cultural attractions of St. Louis for residents and visitors alike. It's dazzling, and its complete openness in the heart of downtown makes it unique in the country." In front of local and state officials, as well as the media, Slay told workers at the park's control center to turn on the fountains and tear down the construction fence. On the opening day of Citygarden, city officials asked an ice cream truck to park near the garden to attract tourists, but many visitors arrived at the park regardless.
A celebration for Citygarden's one-year anniversary was held on July 10, 2010. The festivities included a flamingo parade—meant to "express the irreverent and whimsical spirit of the garden," said park spokesperson Paul Wagman.
Impact
According to one city development leader, Citygarden has prompted many people to visit downtown St. Louis. The executive of a local community improvement organization said the garden has also contributed to the city's economy. In addition, the popularity of Citygarden has led to renewed interest in renovating the 16-block Gateway Mall. Slay said, "By setting the bar so high, it gives us reason to hope that the entire Gateway Mall will eventually fulfill the dreams that civic planners have had for it for the better part of a century. The Mall can be a wonderful, multi-faceted cultural and recreational space for our City and the region."Rocco Landesman
Rocco Landesman
Rocco Landesman has been a long-time Broadway theatre producer. In August 2009 he became chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts...
, chairperson of the National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
, has used Citygarden as an example of a successful foundation-funded art venture. Landesman—a former resident of St. Louis—said that such projects can help urban areas economically, but they cannot be funded solely by the federal government, thus requiring assistance from both the private sector
Private sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
and foundations. Michael Van Valkenburgh
Michael Van Valkenburgh
Michael R. Van Valkenburgh is an American landscape architect and educator. He has worked on a wide variety of projects in the United States, Canada, Korea, and France including public parks, college campuses, sculpture gardens, city courtyards, corporate landscapes, and private gardens-Early...
, principal of a Brooklyn
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
landscape architecture firm, said he was drawn to St. Louis partly because of Citygarden's design and success. Van Valkenburgh was selected in 2010 to renovate the grounds of the Gateway Arch.
Sculptures
The park was designed so larger works of art rest on wide lawns, while smaller spaces are reserved for more private areas. It is home to 24 sculptures, some of which were created by Fernand LégerFernand Léger
Joseph Fernand Henri Léger was a French painter, sculptor, and filmmaker. In his early works he created a personal form of Cubism which he gradually modified into a more figurative, populist style...
, Keith Haring
Keith Haring
Keith Haring was an artist and social activist whose work responded to the New York City street culture of the 1980s.-Early life:...
, Aristide Maillol
Aristide Maillol
Aristide Maillol or Aristides Maillol was a French Catalan sculptor and painter.-Biography:...
, Laura Ford
Laura Ford
Laura Ford is a Welsh artist and sculptor who has exhibited her work at the British Art Show and represented Wales at Venice Biennale. She is recognised internationally as one of the UK's leading sculptors and is included in important museum collections worldwide-Early life and career:Ford was...
, Tony Smith
Tony Smith (sculptor)
Tony Smith was an American sculptor, visual artist, architectural designer, and a noted theorist on art. He is often cited as a pioneering figure in American Minimalist sculpture.-Education:...
, Jim Dine
Jim Dine
Jim Dine is an American pop artist. He is sometimes considered to be a part of the Neo-Dada movement. He was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, attended Walnut Hills High School, the University of Cincinnati, and received a BFA from Ohio University in 1957. He first earned respect in the art world with...
, Kan Yasuda, Bernar Venet, Mark di Suvero
Mark di Suvero
Marco Polo "Mark" di Suvero is an American abstract expressionist sculptor born Marco Polo Levi in Shanghai, China in 1933 to Italian expatriates. He immigrated to San Francisco, California in 1942 with his family. From 1953 to 1957, he attended the University of California, Berkeley to study...
, Niki de Saint Phalle
Niki de Saint Phalle
Niki de Saint Phalle, born Catherine-Marie-Agnès-Brandon Fal de Saint Phalle was a French sculptor, painter, and film maker.-The early years:...
, Tom Otterness
Tom Otterness
Tom Otterness is an American sculptor whose works adorn parks, plazas, subway stations, libraries, courthouses and museums in New York---most notably in Rockefeller Park in Battery Park City and in the 14th Street/8th Avenue subway station---and other cities around the world...
, Tom Claassen, Jack Youngerman
Jack Youngerman
-Biography:Jack Youngerman, was born 1926, St. Louis, MO, moved in Louisville, KY in 1929. He studied art at the University of North Carolina from 1944 to 1946 under a wartime navy training program, and graduated from the University of Missouri in 1947....
, Ju Ming
Ju Ming
Ju Ming is a Taiwanese sculptor, who attained fame in Taiwan in the 1970s, and in New York in 1983. Ju Ming was trained as a woodcarver, apprenticed to Lee Chin-chuan, as a teenager...
, Jean-Michel Folon
Jean-Michel Folon
Jean-Michel Folon was a Belgian artist, illustrator, painter, and sculptor. Folon was born in Uccle, Brussels, Belgium in 1934 where he studied architecture at the Institut Saint-Luc. In 1955 he settled in a gardener’s house in the outskirts of Paris. Over a period of five years he drew morning,...
, Mimmo Paladino
Mimmo Paladino
Mimmo Paladino is an Italian sculptor, painter and printmaker.-Paintings and drawing:Mimmo Paladino was born Domenico Paladino in Paduli, Campania, southern Italy...
, Jonathan Clarke, Donald Baechler
Donald Baechler
Donald Baechler is an American artist. He attended the Maryland Institute College of Art from 1974–77, and Cooper Union from 1977-78. Dissatisfied with New York City, he proceeded to the Staatliche Hochschule fuer Bildende Künste Städelschule in Frankfurt am Main, Germany."At Cooper Union I met...
, and Martin Puryear
Martin Puryear
Martin Puryear is an African American sculptor. He works in media including wood, stone, tar, and wire, and his work is a union of minimalism and traditional crafts.-Life:...
. One statue, by Igor Mitoraj
Igor Mitoraj
Igor Mitoraj is a Polish artist born in Oederan, Germany.-Biography:He studied painting at the Kraków School of Art and at the Kraków Academy of Art under Tadeusz Kantor. After graduating, he had several joint exhibitions, and held his first solo exhibition in 1967 at the Krzysztofory Gallery in...
, features a large bronze head laying on its side, while a work by Julian Opie
Julian Opie
Julian Opie is a visual artist, and one of the New British Sculpture movement.-Life and work:Julian Opie was raised in Oxford, England, where he attended the Dragon School and Magdalen College School. He attended Goldsmith's School of Art in London from 1979-82...
comprises digital screens displaying walking people. Park visitors are allowed to touch the sculptures and even walk inside them. This means, however, that some of the works require more frequent maintenance, such as re-waxing. The sculptures range in medium from various metals—bronze, stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
, and cast aluminum
Aluminium
Aluminium or aluminum is a silvery white member of the boron group of chemical elements. It has the symbol Al, and its atomic number is 13. It is not soluble in water under normal circumstances....
—fiberglass
Fiberglass
Glass fiber is a material consisting of numerous extremely fine fibers of glass.Glassmakers throughout history have experimented with glass fibers, but mass manufacture of glass fiber was only made possible with the invention of finer machine tooling...
and even polyester
Polyester
Polyester is a category of polymers which contain the ester functional group in their main chain. Although there are many polyesters, the term "polyester" as a specific material most commonly refers to polyethylene terephthalate...
.
The Gateway Foundation already owned two of the two dozen pieces prior to Citygarden's creation, and it purchased the remaining number between 2006 and 2009. The organization has not revealed the cost of acquiring the sculptures, an amount not included in the $30 million; however, it is estimated that the collection is worth around $12 million, if not more. The garden has received criticism from those who think that 24 sculptures is too many in such a small space.
Selected works
- 2 Arcs x 4 and 230.5 Degree Arc x 5 (1999) comprise a series of three steel sculptures by Bernar Venet. One sculpture consists of five steel beams bent into a 230.5-degree arc, another arc is 232.5 degrees, and the last is 235.5 degrees.
- Big White Gloves, Big Four Wheels (2009) is a statue of PinocchioPinocchioThe Adventures of Pinocchio is a novel for children by Italian author Carlo Collodi, written in Florence. The first half was originally a serial between 1881 and 1883, and then later completed as a book for children in February 1883. It is about the mischievous adventures of Pinocchio , an...
by Jim Dine. - Eros Bendato ("Eros Bound"; 1999) is a large bronze head by sculptor Igor Mitoraj. Located on the corner of Eighth and Market streets, the statue lays sideways on a slanted granite circle, which is covered by a steady stream of water.
- Femmes au perroquet ("Women with parrot"; 1952) is a bronze reliefReliefRelief is a sculptural technique. The term relief is from the Latin verb levo, to raise. To create a sculpture in relief is thus to give the impression that the sculpted material has been raised above the background plane...
situated on the wall of the Terrace View. Created by the Cubist artist Fernand Léger, this work features a group of women with a parakeetParakeetParakeet is a term for any one of a large number of unrelated small to medium sized species of parrot, that generally have long tail feathers...
. - Four Rectangles Oblique IV (1979) is a kinetic sculptureKinetic artKinetic art is art that contains moving parts or depends on motion for its effect. The moving parts are generally powered by wind, a motor or the observer. Kinetic art encompasses a wide variety of overlapping techniques and styles.-Kinetic sculpture:...
by George RickeyGeorge RickeyGeorge Rickey was an American kinetic sculptor.Rickey was born on June 6, 1907 in South Bend, Indiana.-Life and work:...
. - La Rivière ("The River"; 1938–1943), by Aristide Maillol, depicts a nude woman washing her hair. It is located in the basin outside the Terrace View café. Another version of this sculpture can be found at New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
's Museum of Modern ArtMuseum of Modern ArtThe Museum of Modern Art is an art museum in Midtown Manhattan in New York City, on 53rd Street, between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It has been important in developing and collecting modernist art, and is often identified as the most influential museum of modern art in the world...
. - This is Bruce and Sarah Walking (2007) is an LED panel that displays two people walking. The work, created by Julian Opie, is located next to Tenth Street.
- Untitled (Two Rabbits) (2004), by Tom Claassen, consists of two rabbits cast in bronze and then painted white.
- Voyage (1999), by Jean-Michel Folon, depicts a boat sitting amid a pool of water. The boat has two passengers: a man with a hat—the everymanEverymanIn literature and drama, the term everyman has come to mean an ordinary individual, with whom the audience or reader is supposed to be able to identify easily, and who is often placed in extraordinary circumstances...
—on one end, and a sleeping cat on the other end. - Zenit (1999) is a bronze horse sculpted by Mimmo Paladino. Instead of a rider, the horse carries a small stellated dodecahedron on its back.
Features
Citygarden is not enclosed from the street and can be entered from any direction. The park includes six rain gardenRain garden
A rain garden is a planted depression that allows rainwater runoff from impervious urban areas like roofs, driveways, walkways, parking lots, and compacted lawn areas the opportunity to be absorbed...
s, a 102-fountain "spray plaza" in which children can play, as well as a 180 feet (54.9 m)-long pool with a 6 feet (1.8 m)-tall waterfall. The fountain's water is recycled, and filtered rainwater is also used. A low, winding, 1110 feet (338.3 m)-long, granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
-topped "meander wall" runs through the park's southern half and acts as seating for visitors. In the northern half, a 550 feet (167.6 m)-long curved wall of yellow Missouri limestone
Limestone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed largely of the minerals calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate . Many limestones are composed from skeletal fragments of marine organisms such as coral or foraminifera....
stretches across the property. A 16 feet (4.9 m) LED
LEd
LEd is a TeX/LaTeX editing software working under Microsoft Windows. It is a freeware product....
video screen is on the wall; it displays movies and artworks, as well as some baseball games—including the 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game
The 2009 Major League Baseball All-Star Game was the 80th midseason exhibition between the all-stars of the American League and the National League , the two leagues comprising Major League Baseball. The game was held on July 14, 2009, at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, the home of the...
. In October 2009, two films—"The Way Things Go" by Peter Fischli & David Weiss
Peter Fischli & David Weiss
Peter Fischli and David Weiss , often shortened to Fischli/Weiss, are an artist duo that have been collaborating since 1979. They are among the most renowned contemporary artists of Switzerland...
, and Gordon Matta-Clark
Gordon Matta-Clark
Gordon Matta-Clark was an American artist best known for his site-specific artworks he made in the 1970s. He is famous for his "building cuts," a series of works in abandoned buildings in which he variously removed sections of floors, ceilings, and walls.-Life and work:Both of Gordon Matta-Clark's...
's "Conical Intersect"—were featured on the video wall, running a total of 50 minutes. Previously, the video wall had displayed a series of nine short films focused on humor and the absurdity of life. The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis
Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis
The Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis is an art museum for contemporary art, located in St. Louis, in the U.S. state of Missouri.- External links :*...
, Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum
Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum
The Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, sometimes referred to simply as "The Milly", is an art museum located on the campus of Washington University in St. Louis, within the university's Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts. It was founded in 1881 as the St. Louis School and Museum of Fine Arts, and...
at Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis
Washington University in St. Louis is a private research university located in suburban St. Louis, Missouri. Founded in 1853, and named for George Washington, the university has students and faculty from all fifty U.S. states and more than 110 nations...
, Pulitzer Foundation for the Arts, and Saint Louis Art Museum
Saint Louis Art Museum
The Saint Louis Art Museum is one of the principal U.S. art museums, visited by up to a half million people every year. Admission is free through a subsidy from the cultural tax district for St. Louis City and County.Located in Forest Park in St...
take turns updating the shows at each quarter.
Visitors to Citygarden can listen to an audio tour by dialing a special number on their mobile phones. The tour is narrated by prominent St. Louis residents, including former St. Louis Cardinals
St. Louis Cardinals
The St. Louis Cardinals are a professional baseball team based in St. Louis, Missouri. They are members of the Central Division in the National League of Major League Baseball. The Cardinals have won eleven World Series championships, the most of any National League team, and second overall only to...
player Ozzie Smith
Ozzie Smith
Osborne Earl "Ozzie" Smith is an American former baseball shortstop who played in Major League Baseball for the San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals from 1978 to 1996...
and St. Louis Symphony Orchestra director David Robertson, as well as Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Jackie Joyner-Kersee
Jacqueline "Jackie" Joyner-Kersee is a retired American athlete, ranked among the all-time greatest athletes in the women's heptathlon as well as in the women's long jump. She won three gold, one silver, and two bronze Olympic medals, in those four different events...
, John Ashcroft
John Ashcroft
John David Ashcroft is a United States politician who served as the 79th United States Attorney General, from 2001 until 2005, appointed by President George W. Bush. Ashcroft previously served as the 50th Governor of Missouri and a U.S...
, Jenna Fischer
Jenna Fischer
Regina Marie "Jenna" Fischer is an American actress and director. She is most widely known for her Emmy-nominated portrayal of Pam Halpert on the NBC situation comedy and mockumentary The Office, and has also appeared in several films, including Blades of Glory, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story,...
, and Kurt Warner
Kurt Warner
Kurtis Eugene "Kurt" Warner is a retired American football player. He played quarterback for three National Football League teams: the St. Louis Rams, the New York Giants, and the Arizona Cardinals. He was originally signed by the Green Bay Packers as an undrafted free agent in 1994 after playing...
, with over twenty narrators in all.
Design
The garden also includes Ginkgo biloba trees, native plantNative plant
Native plant is a term to describe plants endemic or naturalized to a given area in geologic time.This includes plants that have developed, occur naturally, or existed for many years in an area...
s, and spacious sidewalks, features that Warren Byrd of Nelson Byrd Woltz said could be adapted by other sections of the Gateway Mall. Originally, the Citygarden site had an elevation of 6 feet (1.8 m), but architects increased it to 10 feet (3 m) in certain areas, placing the restaurant and maintenance shed on the higher ground.
The park is divided into three horizontal sections, and architects considered the rivers and other natural characteristics of the St. Louis area when designing the park. The northern limestone wall represents the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
bluffs, while the southern snaking meander wall stands is inspired by the region's waterways. Between the two zones are the rain gardens, larger trees, and larger sculptures, an area that meant to represent a floodplain
Floodplain
A floodplain, or flood plain, is a flat or nearly flat land adjacent a stream or river that stretches from the banks of its channel to the base of the enclosing valley walls and experiences flooding during periods of high discharge...
. The main paths of the park were plotted to match the locations of alleyways that park designers saw in a 1916 Sanborn map.
Citygarden's plants, including various grasses and wildflowers, were selected by the Missouri Botanical Garden
Missouri Botanical Garden
The Missouri Botanical Garden is a botanical garden located in St. Louis, Missouri. It is also known informally as Shaw's Garden for founder Henry Shaw, a botanist and philanthropist.-History:...
. Large shade plants were chosen to provide relief in warm and humid weather. At the time of its opening, Citygarden comprised a total of 240 trees, 1,100 shrubs, 4,000 perennials, 8,000 bulbs, and 13,000 groundcover
Groundcover
Groundcover refers to any plant that grows over an area of ground, used to provide protection from erosion and drought, and to improve its aesthetic appearance .- Ecosystem :...
s. A garden spokesperson later said that hungry rabbits have forced workers to alter some of the plant choices.
Recognition
On October 8, 2009, the chairman of the board of the Gateway Foundation was given the St. Louis Award for his part in Citygarden's development. Upon receiving the award, Peter Fischer—whose parents launched the foundation in 1986—called for more public spaces similar to Citygarden. "If Citygarden's design really is world class, then it has set the standard for the development of the rest of the [Gateway Mall]. We want great and brilliant design for our public places," he said. The St. Louis Award recognizes a "resident of metropolitan St. Louis who, during the preceding year, has contributed the most outstanding service for its development."In early 2011, Citygarden was named one of five finalists for the Urban Land Institute
Urban Land Institute
The Urban Land Institute, or ULI, is a non-profit research and education organization with offices in Washington, D.C., Hong Kong, and London...
Amanda Burden
Amanda Burden
Amanda Jay Mortimer Burden is the director of the New York City Department of City Planning and chair of the City Planning Commission....
Urban Open Space Award. The award, named after its creator, is given to a public open space that has contributed to its surrounding community. Citygarden competed for the $10,000 prize against Portland
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...
's Director Park
Director Park
Director Park is a city park in Portland in the U.S. state of Oregon. Opened in 2009 at a cost of $9.5 million, it covers a 700-space underground parking garage, which connects underground to the Fox Tower and the incomplete Park Avenue West Tower...
and Jamison Square
Jamison Square
Jamison Square is a city park in the area of downtown Portland, Oregon, known as the Pearl District. It was the first park added to the neighborhood.-Design:...
, as well as Discovery Green
Discovery Green
Discovery Green is a public park in Downtown Houston, Texas, United States. Opened in 2008, Discovery Green is located on Avenida de las Americas across from the George R. Brown Convention Center and the Hilton Americas Hotel, adjacent to Toyota Center...
and the Raymond and Susan Brochstein Pavilion of Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
. The institute said that Citygarden "draws on St. Louis' chief natural feature—its rivers ... has attracted diverse users, catalyzed nearby development, and changed perceptions of downtown. Situated on two blocks of the underutilized Gateway Mall, the active sculpture garden has drawn an estimated one million visitors since its opening." On May 19, 2011, the Urban Land Institute announced Citygarden as the winner of the award at a ceremony in Phoenix
Phoenix, Arizona
Phoenix is the capital, and largest city, of the U.S. state of Arizona, as well as the sixth most populated city in the United States. Phoenix is home to 1,445,632 people according to the official 2010 U.S. Census Bureau data...
, Arizona
Arizona
Arizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
. In a statement, Slay said, "This is a really wonderful honor for the City of St. Louis and for the Gateway Foundation. ULI chose Citygarden from among 48 applicants across the country. The decision will bring flattering and well-deserved national attention both to the garden and to the City of St. Louis." The award was accepted in Phoenix by Rodney Crim, director of the St. Louis Development Corporation, on behalf of the city and the Gateway Foundation.
Terrace View
The Terrace View is a restaurant and café located in Citygarden. Operated by local restaurateurRestaurateur
A restaurateur is a person who opens and runs restaurants professionally. Although over time the term has come to describe any person who owns a restaurant, traditionally it refers to a highly skilled professional who is proficient in all aspects of the restaurant business.-Etymology:The word...
Jim Fiala
Jim Fiala
Jim Fiala is a chef who owns four restaurants in the St. Louis, Missouri area. His restaurants are The Terrace View in Citygarden, The Crossing in Clayton, Missouri, Liluma in St. Louis' Central West End neighborhood and Acero in Maplewood, Missouri....
, the Terrace View opened on August 19, 2009 with Chris Bork as chef. At the time of its opening, Fiala estimated the eatery would produce between $600,000 and $800,000 in revenue each year. The Terrace View employs about 30 workers.
The 3000 square foot Terrace View building was designed by Philip Durham of Studio Durham Architects. It has three glass walls that face the garden and is located near the intersection of Eighth and Chestnut streets. Durham called his design a "Miesian glass box," similar to the stye of Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Ludwig Mies van der Rohe was a German architect. He is commonly referred to and addressed as Mies, his surname....
. The restaurant's roof—as well as the roof of maintenance building—is covered with Sedum
Sedum
Sedum is a large genus of flowering plants in the family Crassulaceae, members of which are commonly known as stonecrops. It contains around 400 species of leaf succulents that are found throughout the Northern Hemisphere, varying from annual and creeping herbs to shrubs. The plants have...
species, meant to decrease energy costs. Inside the Terrace View, Niki de Saint Phalle's sculpture Adam and Eve sits in the middle of the dining floor.
The restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Including both indoor and outdoor seating, the Terrace View accommodates up to 120 patrons and focuses on dishes created locally—within 150 miles (241.4 km) of its location—as well as Italian and French cuisine. In December 2010, Terrace View chef Nick Cox narrowed the original Mediterranean-themed menu, focusing more on Northern Italian cuisine. Called "Acero on the Terrace" after Fiala's Acero
Acero
Acero is an Italian restaurant located in Maplewood, Missouri at 7266 Manchester Road, in suburban St. Louis. It is owned by chef Jim Fiala and the Executive Chef is Adam Karl Gnau. James Fiala also owns The Crossing in Clayton, Missouri and Liluma in St...
restaurant in Maplewood, Missouri
Maplewood, Missouri
Maplewood is an inner-ring suburb of St. Louis, located in St. Louis County. The population was 8,046 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Maplewood is located at ....
, the menu still retains dishes made from locally grown produce, including the "50-Mile Salad"—composed of ingredients from within 50 miles (80.5 km) of the Terrace View.
Fiala was referred to the Gateway Foundation by the president of a local catering company, and the foundation later asked him to run the Terrace View. A foundation spokesperson said that the "Gateway Foundation board sorted through a lot of different candidates, and they were thrilled to find one who was perfect." Fiala had wanted to open the Terrace View before the 2009 All-Star Game, but was forced to delay in order to settle contracts and have a liquor license
Liquor license
-Alberta:In Alberta, liquor licences are issued by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission.-United Kingdom:Throughout the United Kingdom, the sale of alcohol is restricted—pubs, restaurants, shops and other premises must be licensed by the local authority. The individual responsible for the...
approved. The establishment was originally scheduled to open on July 1, the same day as Citygarden's opening and two weeks before the game.