Water, Land, and Sky to Meld in Richmond Oval Landscape Design and Integrated Public Art
24 July 2007
A dramatic combination of cultures and nature’s elements will come together in a stunning new integrated public art work designed for the Richmond Oval site by internationally-acclaimed artist Janet Echelman, in collaboration with landscape architects Phillips Farevaag Smallenberg and the Oval consultant team.
Two giant red lanterns created from a translucent and durable fabric that responds to the changing wind and sky will be suspended over a large pond adjoining the Oval. The lanterns evoke a variety of images, including the fishing nets common to many of the Richmond’s cultural groups. A unique wooden walkway, influenced by Asian gardens, will cross over the water and under and beside the giant lanterns, creating an ever-changing sensory experience that combines elements of weather, land and sky and a fusion of cultural and historic references.
The new public artwork is just one part of an integrated landscape design for the Richmond oval site that envisions an outdoor environment on the site that will complement the diverse recreational opportunities, cultural experiences and other public amenities that will be offered inside the Oval. The Richmond Oval Site Landscape and Integrated Art concept that was approved by Richmond Council on July 23.
There are three main, interconnected public spaces within the site landscape design:
- Legacy Plaza welcomes and accommodates crowds arriving and leaving the building, and is coordinated with drop-off and parking space on the new High Street on the south side of the Oval. It is designed to accommodate small gatherings, as well as future public art per the Oval Art Plan
- Waterworks consists of a large pond that will detain water, improve water quality, potentially provide water for site use, and serve as a major public urban space and attraction
- Riverside, which is a major festival space, capable of hosting up to 8,000 people, that connects the Oval to the water. It includes plaza and lawn space, oriented with amphitheatre seating and steps toward the Middle Arm Dyke Trail and the Fraser River
Connecting these main spaces are plazas, accessible pathways and stairs that comprise The Stroll around the Oval building. Furnishings throughout the site will provide opportunity for resting, viewing and gathering.
The landscape design and new public artwork will be constructed in concert with the Oval, which is scheduled to open in the fall of 2008. To read more about the landscape plan and the planned public art, you can refer to the July 23 - Report to Council report.
Echelman is internationally renowned for her sculptural works that respond to environmental forces like wind and water. Her recent commissions include an award-winning waterfront wind sculpture in Porto, Portugal, and a September 11th Memorial for Hoboken, NJ.
To view a video animation of her proposed Richmond Oval artwork visit and to see other examples of her work visit our Richmond Oval Art Program page.
Opening in the fall of 2008, the Richmond Oval will be home to the long track speed skating competition for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Post-Games, the Oval will become a multipurpose international centre of excellence for sport and wellness, providing a wide variety of community, sport and recreation, health and wellness and cultural programming and events. The Oval will also be the centerpiece of a new urban waterfront neighbourhood consisting of a mix of residential and commercial development and public amenities.
