City of Sunnyvale
Agenda Item
22-0157 Agenda Date: 1/19/2022
REPORT TO ARTS COMMISSION
SUBJECT
Review and Recommendation of Public Art for Civic Center Amphitheater
BACKGROUND
Phase I of the Civic Center project is currently underway and includes:
· New 119,874 square
‐
foot, four
‐
story, Net Zero Energy and Certified LEED Platinum City Hall
· Renovated Public Safety Headquarters (i.e., lobby, entry and tenant improvements) · New two
‐
story, 15,002 square
‐
foot Emergency Operations Center
· Approximately 6 acres of open space
· Pedestrian improvements along Olive Avenue
· Frontage improvements along Mathilda Avenue from W. Olive Avenue to El Camino Real including a new multiuse pathway and walkways for public use · Civic plaza
· Outdoor amphitheater
Subject to Council Policy 6.4.4 (Art in Public Places), the project will incorporate 1% of construction costs for public art, totaling $508,966 for Phase I, which will include three locations for public art:
interior niches (four) at each floor lobby in the Civic Center, All America Way at Mathilda (rotating temporary sculpture program) and the Amphitheater. This report addresses the amphitheater where $316,000 has been allotted for large scale, site-specific artwork(s) (Attachment 1 - Amphitheater Rendering). Art for the remaining two locations will be brought to the Arts Commission and City Council for review at a future time.
A Request for Qualifications was distributed through public art websites, artist networks and the City website inviting artists residing in the United States to apply for the commission (Attachment 2 - Call for Artists). A total of 68 artists applied and a 12-member community selection panel, including art professionals and project staff reviewed the qualifications of the artists. The community panel juried and selected five artists to develop a detailed conceptual design for the amphitheater site.
This report provides information on the five conceptual design proposals. The Arts Commission is being asked to review and rank the proposals. The Commission’s recommendation will be forwarded to City Council on Feb. 15, 2022, for consideration and final approval.
Following City Council’s approval, staff will work with the selected artist to finalize the location, engineering, and lighting of the art, as well as the development of a community workshop to engage residents in the design process. Any substantial changes to the approved conceptual design will require additional Arts Commission review and City Council approval before proceeding with
Attachment 1
22-0157 Agenda Date: 1/19/2022
fabrication.
EXISTING POLICY
Sunnyvale Municipal Code 19.52 - Art in Private Development Sunnyvale Council Policy 6.4.4 - Art in Public Places
ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW
On September 25, 2018, the City Council adopted a resolution (1) making findings and certifying a program Environmental Impact Report for the Civic Center Modernization Master Plan, (2) adopting a Statement of Overriding Considerations and Mitigation Monitoring and Reporting Program for the Plan; and (3) adopting the Civic Center Modernization Master Plan. Public art consistent with the City’s Public Art Policy was a component of the Master Plan.
DISCUSSION
Selected Locations
Potential art locations for the Civic Center project were identified by the selection committee (Attachment 3 - Civic Center Site Plan with Phase I Art Locations). In total, there are three locations for public art selected for Phase 1:
1. Amphitheater (site-specific art)
2. City Hall Building (interior niches at each floor lobby, four total)
3. All America Way at Mathilda Avenue (rotating/temporary sculpture program) This report is addressing the amphitheater. Staff anticipates that the remaining two sites will be brought to Arts Commission and City Council for review in spring 2022.
The amphitheater is near the corner of West Olive Avenue and All America Way, in front of the current North Annex wing of City Hall (Attachment 4 - Amphitheater Site Plan). The site is an outdoor amphitheater surrounded by landscape, including large redwood trees that will be retained as part of the project.
The amphitheater design includes a curved 10-foot by 20-foot concrete stage that faces west towards the redwood trees and All America Way. Three rows of concrete seating, each roughly 50- to 55-feet in length will face the stage. Directly behind the seating is a small open space of grass.
The Request for Qualifications noted that the entire amphitheater site, including the seating and stage, could be considered as possible locations for siting public art. Artists were also not limited to a single piece, nor any particular style or media for their design.
Art Proposals
Proposal #1
was submitted by Long Island sculptor Ilan Averbuch (Attachment 5 - Averbuch Resume, Past Work and Design Proposal). The Village, is a large-scale, site-specific installation of seven colorful, cast concrete houses raised on Corten steel stilts. The overall footprint of the house grouping will be 35-feet long by 8-feet deep and 6 to 7-feet tall. The artist is proposing to locate the sculptures behind the amphitheater seating in the green space.
Attachment 1
22-0157 Agenda Date: 1/19/2022
Each house will vary slightly in shape, size, and color. The houses will be washed with a pale pastel color (blue, yellow, red, white, gray, or green) and each will measure between 4- by 6- by 4-feet, and 5- by 4- by 4-feet. The houses will be elevated overhead approximately 11 to 12.5 feet above ground level and the windows and doors will be unique and playfully cut into the houses to suggest eyes and noses. From a distance, the houses will appear to be part of the audience watching the performances on the amphitheater stage.
Maintenance of the sculptures is negligible, as cast concrete and Corten steel are meant to withstand the elements and do not require regular cleaning.
For more information on Ilan Averbuch and to see examples of his work, visit Ilanaverbuch.com.
Proposal #2
was submitted by Los Angeles based artists Benjamin Ball and Gaston Nogues of Ball- Nogues Design Studio (Attachment 6 - Ball-Nogues Resume, Past Work and Design Proposal). Mr.
Ball and Mr. Nogues propose a canopy of polycarbonate spheres in a deep amber hue. Ranging in size from 4-inches in diameter to 16-inches in diameter, the spheres will cast fractal patterns of colored light on the ground, covering visitors in a wash of amber light and circular patterns. The hundreds of spheres will be encased in rings of stainless steel and supported by a system of cables and rods, creating a rigid structure that resists uplift and lateral movement due to wind and seismic events.
Ball-Nogues is offering three options for placement of the canopy. If selected for the project, they will conduct further cost, engineering and site analysis to determine the final configuration of the sculptures. The artists are also requesting the Arts Commission and City Council note their preferred configuration and location:
1. A single grouping above the seating area
2. Two groupings overhead on either side of the amphitheater at the pathway entrances
3. A single grouping above the stage area
Maintenance for this design would require annual spray washing and wipe down with a soft cloth.
Stainless steel and polycarbonate are naturally UV and weather resistant.
For more information on Ball-Nogues and to see examples of their work, visit ball-nogues.com.
Proposal #3
was submitted by artist Linda Brunker based out of Oak View, CA (Attachment 7 - Brunker Resume, Past Work and Design Proposal). The artist is proposing a series of Corten steel, cut-out figures holding hands in unity. The figures would be representative of a range of diverse cultures, genders, age groups and abilities, similar to the multiplicity of Sunnyvale’s residential and business communities. Text, short sayings, poetry, words of wisdom and detailed motifs will be weaved throughout the figures and gold leaf will be applied to highlight these details.
The group of figures will be installed in the greenspace behind the amphitheater seating and can be configured in one of two ways:
· In a 25- to 30-feet diameter circle, with figures ranging up to 12-feet tall (visitors will be able to
Attachment 1
22-0157 Agenda Date: 1/19/2022
enter the circle under the raised arms of the figures). · In an approximately 45-feet arc mimicking the arc of the curved seating.
If selected, the artist will conduct further cost, engineering and site analysis to determine the final configuration of the sculptures.
Maintenance of the sculptures is negligible, as Corten steel is meant to withstand the elements and does not require regular cleaning.
For more information on Linda Brunker and to see examples of her work, visit lindabrunker.com.
Proposal #4
was submitted by the artistic team of Laura Haddad and Thomas Drugan (Haddad- Drugan) located in Seattle, WA (Attachment 8 - Haddad-Drugan Resume, Past Work and Design Proposal). The artists propose two conceptual approaches based on rainbows, which inspire destiny and dreams; symbolize multi-culturalism, diversity, inclusivity, hope, good fortune, and peace; and manifest two natural phenomena necessary to sustain life - sunlight and rain.
Based on a scientific investigation of how light reflects and refracts into rainbows, coupled with a series of site studies, the artists have developed two conceptual designs:
1. Reflection Portal
: a sculptural portal/archway located to one side of the amphitheater area.
As the viewer walks towards the area from the park, they will pass through the portal and proceed into the amphitheater space. The portal will be composed of geometric arches of graduated sizes and colors to create a telescoping rainbow effect. The inner faces of the upper arch segments will have a mirrored finish to reflect light emitted at night from the lower arch segments. These mirrored surfaces will also reflect visitors as they pass through the archway.
The portal will consist of 7 arches made of square metal tubing ranging in size from 1.5-inches to 6-inches across. These tubes will be painted the color spectrum of the rainbow and connected to the overall site at ground level by an integrated, arcing band of concrete paving with embedded colored glass running either along the curved back edge of the stage area or through the planting area behind the stage to further convey the rainbow concept.
If this concept is chosen, the artists will conduct a thorough cost, engineering and site analysis to determine if a second portal can be appropriately added on the other side of the amphitheater, mirroring the first portal.
The portals could be painted in one of two ways:
· a partial color spectrum of the rainbow; if two portals, with warm colors on one side of the amphitheater and cool colors on the other; OR · the full color spectrum of the rainbow; with all colors (warm and cool) on one or both sides of the amphitheater.
2. Light Paths
: an aerial sculpture composed of colored, 3-inch diameter round tubes, formed into the angular refraction/reflection paths of the six orders of rainbows. These sculptural
Attachment 1
22-0157 Agenda Date: 1/19/2022
forms will be suspended from poles and cables located around the edges of the amphitheater seating area. The forms will be arranged so they are visible from underneath, as well as from approaching pathways. Each form can be painted either a single color, or in ‘fades’ of all the colors of the visual spectrum. Color-changing spotlights will be mounted to the poles to illuminate the sculpture at night. Different colors of light will highlight different colors within the sculptural elements, creating a dance of colored light in the sky as the lights flow through the colors of the rainbow.
If selected for the project, the artists are requesting the Arts Commission and City Council note their preferred conceptual design.
Maintenance for either of the above proposed approaches will be minimal, consisting of a low- pressure wash with mild soap and paint touch-ups as needed.
For more information on Haddad-Drugan and to see examples of their work, visit haddad-drugan.com.
Proposal #5
was submitted by Shan Shan Sheng, owner of East West Art Studio in San Francisco (Attachment 9 - Sheng Resume, Past Work and Design Proposal). Ms. Sheng is proposing a large- scale sculpture entitled COSMOS. This large-scale sculpture represents the forward thinking and innovative nature of Sunnyvale, the Heart of Silicon Valley. Created from large painted sheets of architectural glass bent and wrapped around a steel frame, the sculpture stands 20-feet high and 20- feet in diameter.
The sculpture’s design is innovative in shape and technique, since the use of bent architectural glass has not previously been done on such a large scale. The sculpture’s circular shape represents the ‘gravitational pull’ of Silicon Valley and how the brightest and most curious minds are continuously brought into its orbit. The painted clouds on the glass represent seeing this orbiting from all angles, near and afar, below and above.
Embedded in the sculpture will be solar light fixtures to illuminate the sculpture at night providing a different energy and set of color tones than those generated during the day from natural light.
The artist is currently showing the location of the sculpture at the corner of W. Olive Avenue and All America Way, however that location is not under consideration due to the immense root system of the existing Redwood trees on site. Therefore, it is anticipated the sculpture will be located in the grass area behind the seating area, but the exact location will require additional site and engineering analysis.
Maintenance will be minimal, requiring only annual rinsing and wipe down, similar to cleaning a window.
For more information on Shan Shan Sheng and to see more of her work, visit shanshansheng.com.
FISCAL IMPACT
Attachment 1
22-0157 Agenda Date: 1/19/2022
The project budget for Phase 1 of the Civic Center Modernization (#831340) includes a 1% provision ($508,966) for public art. The amphitheater site has been allocated $338,966 for a large scale, site- specific artwork(s) and the remaining two locations will be considered at a future time.
On-going maintenance for this project will require an estimated $2,000-$5,500 per year. This will be included in the FY 2022/23 Recommended Budget.
PUBLIC CONTACT
Public contact was made through posting of the Arts Commission agenda on the City’s official-notice bulletin board, on the City’s website, and the availability of the agenda and report in the Office of the City Clerk.
RECOMMENDATION
There is no staff recommendation for this project. Pursuant to the Art in Public Places procedures, the Arts Commission should rank the proposals and develop a recommendation to City Council for consideration and final approval. The selected conceptual design will be further developed with oversight from staff to meet the Art in Public Places guidelines within the allocated budget.
Prepared by: Kristin Dance, Recreation Services Coordinator II Reviewed by: Trenton Hill, Recreation Services Manager
Reviewed by: Damon Sparacino, Superintendent of Recreation Services Reviewed by: Cherise Brandell, Director of Library and Recreation Services Reviewed by: Tim Kirby, Director of Finance
Reviewed by: Chip Taylor, Director of Public Works
Reviewed by: Teri Silva, Assistant City Manager
Approved by: Kent Steffens, City Manager
ATTACHMENTS
1. Amphitheater Rendering
2. Call for Artists
3. Civic Center Site Plan with Phase I Art Locations
4. Amphitheater Site Plan
5. Averbuch Resume, Past Work and Design Proposal
6. Ball-Nogues Resume, Past Work and Design Proposal
7. Brunker Resume, Past Work and Design Proposal
8. Haddad-Drugan Resume, Past Work and Design Proposal
9. Shan Shan Sheng Resume, Past Work and Design Proposal
Attachment 1