Client: HarborChase of Palm Beach Gardens

Overview

“Shades of Green” brings artistic flair to the public parkway adjacent to HarborChase of Palm Beach Gardens, a luxury assisted living facility along Central Blvd. Artist Lucy Keshavarz was commissioned for the project and designed two functional public works of art that provide communal seating along a beautifully landscaped pedestrian pathway. For this project, two curved cast-stone benches are flanked by columns that feature a total of 128 hand made tiles. Each structure is topped with botanically inspired pierced metal sculptural elements that provide dynamic shade during the day and subtle illumination at night, thanks to strategic LED lighting. “Shades of Green” acts to transition from the large facility to a pedestrian feel at the landscaped level around the building, which then connects with the wide parkway along Central Blvd., where facility entrances are located. Lucy designed “Shades of Green” to visually connect with the surrounding architecture and to highlight some of Florida’s native plant and butterfly species including corky stem passion vine, saw palmetto, and the zebra longwing butterfly (Florida State butterfly). “Shades of Green” creates an elegant and permanent touchable public art environment where pedestrians may relax and enjoy our Florida climate.

Goals

The goals of this project took a while to sort out as it was a very involved project and the client had several similar projects being built simultaneously in Florida and across the country. The footprint for the three-story building was quite large. Along with certain landscape requirements for property adjacent to the building, beyond that area is a parkway easement running along Central Blvd. that also required extensive plantings and sidewalks. The City of Palm Beach Gardens ordinance requires the public art to be located where there is high vehicular and pedestrian viewing. Luckily the city would allow public art to be placed in the parkway, which is outside of the property for the project. The client liked the idea of work that could be functional, interactive and used by residents and their visiting families. So the design began there.

Process

This project required a great deal of coordination by the artist and leading the spirit of collaboration between her work in the studio, her structural engineer, fabricators, contractors and the client’s construction contractors and crews. Lucy’s understanding of construction and being prepared as well as being respectful to those in other disciplines and trades goes a long way in making good will during construction and installation on all her projects. There are times Lucy has encountered some apprehension by those in the construction trades when she shows up on site and introduces herself as the artist. She has found a good sense of humor, being prepared and respectful quickly dispels any negativity or uncertainty. This particular project required Lucy to work with and hire several subcontractors: structural engineer, metal fabricator, cast stone fabricator, general contractor for concrete foundation, lighting designer and tile installers.