Blown Away by Wichita’s New East Kellogg Walls

July 17, 2018

In April and June, 2018, Vicki traveled to Wichita, KS, to oversee the the construction of our East Kellogg concrete walls. The wall patterning takes its inspiration from the motion of the wind through the prairie. Please see our Initial Design inspirations, and Webb Road Redesign posts for more information about the design process for these walls.

The patterning features a dynamic primary gesture of deep U-shaped channels. These primary channels are echoed with smaller offset gestures to imply movement, reminiscent of a feather. The secondary gesture uses low rounded mound forms sliced with V-shaped valleys to add density to the patterning.

The primary and secondary gestures intersect and weave together to create a deeply detailed pattern system. The tools marks used to carve the forms were intentionally left on the outsides of the forms and in the background negative spaces to add a rich texture to the walls.

The pattern units group together to create dynamic bands that move across the walls. These angled bands blend and change across the full length of the walls, activating the space with variety and interest.

This level of detail and precision is rarely seen on such large scale infrastructure projects. With our close involvement from start to finish, and thanks to the tremendous effort of our team, East Kellogg is a true triumph. It is safe to say that we are “blown away” by the success of this project.