Cosmos is a site-specific installation by New York artist Leo Villareal. Light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and computer-driven imagery bring the underside of the floating upper levels of I.M. Pei’s Johnson Museum to life. Thousands of LED’s are synchronized with one another to create fascinating shapes and patterns. These lights are visible both from campus and from … Read more
Historic Sage Chapel, located on the campus of Cornell University, is a prominent example of High Victorian Gothic architecture. It features asymmetrical brick layouts, dramatic peaked gables, decorative stonework, and pointed arch windows. Opened in 1875, it was built as the first nonsectarian university chapel in the United States. Sage Chapel serves as an active … Read more
The Finger Lakes feed into the Great Lakes watershed. They are the results leftover as the glaciers retreated northward. Today there are wonderful historic ubilding sand towns of varying sizes spread across this region. While Ithaca is one of the largest, there are many villages, farms, and environmental sites worthy of visiting. The mid-century modern … Read more
Ithaca, New York, has one of the few surviving pedestrian plazas. In the 1970s several downtown areas closed streets to traffic to create a pedestrian area in the public realm. Very few of these were effective, and later the street was reintroduced in many. Ithaca has been resistant to this trend, instead choosing to replace … Read more
Old Falls Street had a need to bring some added vitality to their downtown area near the Niagara Falls State Park. Several hotels, a conference center, and a visitor center are located there. The Quality Inn (240 1st St) had a quarter-acre lot of approximately 365 feet by 100 feet. Boundaries include the Bollywood Lounge … Read more
This park combines public art, sculpture, and placemaking elements to make a lively, if a little bit idiosyncratic place. The mural is a focal point. These is a trompe l’oeil effect with vistas vanishing in the distance, and a staircase seemingly busting through a broken wall. This bulletin board is for official postings. The base … Read more
The parklet in Hamilton has a steel frame with wood slats to provide separate from the road. HAMBRGR is a nearby restaurant that is likely the primary contributor of traffic and the leading beneficiary of the parklet. Interestingly the parklet is not in front of their narrow storefront. Other furnishings nearby include a pair of … Read more
While the destination was Niagara Falls, starting on the Canada side, we were surprised to see this pyramid just steps away from our destination. It goes to show that tastefulness and scenic attractions do not always closely track. For those seeking an IMAX theater experience within a squat pyramid, this surely is bliss. Not what … Read more
This public artwork is titled “Dressmaker’s Manikin with Drapery”. It is a permanent sculpture located at Kiwanis Place (at the corner of Ottawa Street North and Edinburgh Avenue) in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The primary piece is a draping study carved onto a headless, armless form resembling a dressmaker’s mannequin. It is a direct tribute to … Read more
