San Jose “Orange Lanterns” Design Development
Inspired by a historical connection its site and the oranges that once grew there, the “Orange Lanterns” serve as wayfinding beacons for a newly developing neighborhood. Our site is defined by the sidewalk on one side and a new park on the other, tucked under the structure of an overpass. Given this space to use, we decided to center the art elements between the columns. We positioned the large forms to be visible to people traveling under the bridge and to allow access to the new park.
Starting with the inspiration of the historical oranges and knowing that the art needed to be illuminated, our concept was to create a form that has an internal volume to hold the light and patterned openings to let the light through. We developed these openings into tracery patterns that took influence from the internal segments of an orange. We sized these circular forms to fit their location and placed them into the site between the sidewalk and the park, under the bridge.
The day and night concept images, above, show the Oranges with the next level of design development. This included adding a layer of translucent colorful panels to the patterned openings. These panels catch the light, transforming the sculptures into lantern beacons. The colors range from purple to red, yellow, and white. While not necessarily found in oranges, these colors evoke the concept and add another layer of interpretation.
The third iteration of the concept reflects the ongoing information gathering that is a crucial part of the design process. We responded to the feedback from the design team and, in consultation with a fabricator, reduced the size of the Orange Lanterns and the complexity of the colors. Every level of design development makes the artwork more realizable, until we deliver the final product. During this entire process we maintain a commitment to the initial concept.
Team Credits:
Alexandr Polzin
Landscape Architect: SWA
Client: