Pergola Garden (2022)

Nicholas Croft , Michaela MacLeod

9600 Odlin Road

Area: City Centre
Location: The artwork is located in the central plaza of Alexandra Park.

Materials: Cor®Ten steel, steel cables, Alaskan yellow cedar, Akebia Quinata ‘Shiro Bana’

Program: Civic
Ownership: Civic
Sponsored By: Public Art Reserve

Description of Work

Pergola Garden is a Corten Steel waffle structure 11m Long x 4.7m Wide x 5.2m High. The structure creates a dramatic and expansive sculptural canopy.

The sculpture has three "legs" that touch the ground and three oculi that open toward the sky. The sculpture's edges have a trim milled from Alaskan Yellow Cedar wood. Akebia white chocolate vines are planted at the base of each "leg," which will climb over a network of cables that will cover the sculpture over time. An ecosystem of insects, butterflies and birds will develop.

Artist Statement

Pergola Garden draws its main inspiration from the natural landscape of the Fraser Valley, and more specifically, the Fraser river's highly sedimented tidal flow-a force that continually reshapes the river basin in a continuous process of deposit and erosion.

The intent of the artwork is two-fold: first, to create a sculpture that defines a space capable of animating the park, that acts as a catalyst for spontaneous social exchange between park users and serves as an identifying landmark within the park and the surrounding neighbourhood; and second, to integrate the piece into the larger natural and cultural systems of the Alexandra Park and its environs by establishing an ecosystem for insects, butterflies, and birds.

The sculpture provides shelter and shade for park users strolling through, having a picnic, or watching a performance.