Gainesville City Plaza has a concentric
form. Its inward orientation works well for performances.
Yet the plaza is also a place of passage and rest. People
walk through between the bus stations on the east and west or
between the government buildings on the north and south; they
also move along its edges. People -- homeless people,
people waiting for buses, government employees, and others --
also hang out around the plaza, the different groups usually
isolated from one another. The existing design provides
very little transitional space between inside and outside of
the plaza; there are even barriers between outside and in -- as
there are barriers to perimeter passage.
A state of the art, artful, and subtle
spectacle of complexly pulsating,
image-shaped light refers to the
cicadas and other singing insects whose sounds permeate the
plaza much of the day and night. The light-work also
illuminates part of the plaza currently in shadow. While
most captivating at night, the insect-bricks are also
intriguing in daylight. Signage on four concrete posts
provides interpretive information about the project and singing
insects, in particular insects in the plaza.
'Listen" Bricks, each one spelling 'listen' in a
different language, reinforce the project's intent and allude
to and address Gainesville's international
population. Thoughtful, problem solving spatial
design of trees, paving, benches and their orientation
strengthens connections between plaza interior and adjacent
spaces; defines passages on the plaza perimeter, making
traverse more direct and pleasant; and makes a distinctive
place -- in harmony with the plaza as a whole -- of each of
three target areas. Each becomes a place where people can
and will want to linger. Together, the art and design
will attract people to the Plaza, making it a destination for
city residents as well as for visitors to Florida.
