Michael Seymour and Jason Walker, Mississippi State University
Submission 0177
The design for the Boston Center for the Arts plaza creates a vibrant and flexible urban space with year-round applications. The plan unifies the disparate elements surrounding the space while creating distinct areas for each facility’s use. It includes a small market which serves to enliven the street corner and includes a newsstand, small coffee kiosk, a seasonal vendor (such as ice cream in the summer) and outdoor café seating. The plaza’s central open space serves as a multi-functional area, useful on a daily basis and for special events. The small interactive, at-grade fountain will attract visitors in warmer seasons with seating provided on the small lawn and surrounding planters and moveable park furniture. The fountain and lawn could be covered in the winter and a heated tent erected for outdoor events. The dominant vertical element in the plaza is the signature kinetic sculpture located adjacent to the street in front of the BCA. The sculpture is intended to become the center’s icon (similar to Jonathan Borofsky’s Hammering Man sculpture at the Seattle Art Museum) and would be selected through a juried review process. The materials and lighting for the plaza are intended to blend into the historic district while invoking the aesthetics of a contemporary gallery space in order to highlight the rotating art exhibits, performances and events. This design for the BCA plaza provides space for artists to perform, create and exhibit--yet its most important function is attracting a new audience through the creation of a vibrant civic space for all to enjoy.
