DRAFT
Joint
Work Session of the
Town
Council and Public Art Advisory Board
On
the
Room
10035,
Council Members Present:
Mayor Pro Tem Julie Robison, Council Members Gale Adcock, Don Frantz, Erv
Portman, and Jennifer Robinson.
Absent:
Mayor Harold Weinbrecht and Council Member Jack Smith
Public Art Advisory Board
Members Present: Chair Carol
Aupperle, Board members Charles Rankin, Carl Regutti, and Gray Rinehart
Absent:
Vice Chair Smythe Richbourg, Eric Forehand, Ginger Hayes, and Patricia
Hudson
Board member Ginger Castle
arrived late and her arrival is noted in the minutes.
Consultants:
Elias Torre, a principal with Clearscapes and lead architect for the
project, and Sonya Ishii, one of the 3 artists working on the team with
Clearscapes on the project
Mayor Pro Tem Robison called
the meeting to order at
Mrs. Robison said that staff is
looking for direction on the fly tower and a general direction on how to proceed
with the concept for the
Mary Henderson of the Parks,
Recreation and Cultural Resources Department said that staff needs to receive
clear direction on how to move forward with the community art center design,
specifically as it relates to the public art areas of design. (Staff’s
PowerPoint is attached to and incorporated herein as Exhibit
A.)
Mrs. Henderson said the
advisory board established general goals for the project and there are three
areas currently earmarked for public art: the
entry plaza, lobby, and fly tower. She
said that the Cultural Arts Committee has endorsed the concepts and wants to
move forward with specific direction on implementing those concepts. She said
staff needs direction from council on the fly tower so that they can work with
Clearscapes and the artists to finalize a design.
Ginger Castle arrived at this
point in the meeting at
Mr. Torre said that the goal of
the project is for the entry plaza to be a part of the downtown streetscape,
core and set up as a front lawn for the historic school.
Mr.
Torre said that the concept sketch in Exhibit A is a rendering of the finished
lobby and shows how the lobby area pulls together.
Ms. Ishii added that the stairs and art
wall are one integrated piece, and color is being used to separate the floors.
Mr. Torre said that the fly tower provides another opportunity for public
art. He said that the historic front
facade of the school will stay in tact.
Mr. Torre said they received
feedback from the different committees, looked at ways to make the project
affordable, and way to make the building a complete whole so that the art
doesn’t affect the weatherability of the box needed to house the stage.
He said they also wanted to use stock parts.
He said what evolved was the articulation into the wall in three
dimensions: metal storefront pieces,
opportunities for glass, and other materials to create patterns, texture and
color. He said they worked with the
planning staff regarding the Town center guidelines and architecture.
Ms. Aupperle said that the
Public Art Advisory Board had the opportunity to meet with the consultants on
three separate occasions and voted three times to move forward with the concept.
She said that they watched the consultants make dramatic changes based on
community input.
Mrs. Robinson said that an
addition to the historic building needs be in harmony with the existing
building. She said one way to tie
back into and reference the old building would be to use materials relative to
the building—in the case of Cary Elementary it would be brick—so that it
appears congruent to the environment. She
said she is concerned about changing the style and materials.
Mr. Frantz said he is concerned
that the proposed fly tower takes away from the art of the existing building.
He said the fly tower is a 60-foot shoe box and he’s not seeing a blend
to the old building. He said he
would like an opportunity to view four different options and perhaps fit it
together with the roundabout art that will be in that area.
Mr. Frantz said he would have
liked for council to have had input earlier in the process. Mrs. Henderson
said that the current process was in place and it mirrored moving forward with
the tower project. She said that as
staff looks at future public art processes they will look to council for goal
setting and definition up front.
Mr. Frantz asked about the
feasibility of getting different examples of art on the fly tower with four
different artist sketches. Mr. Torre
said it is possible.
Mrs. Adcock asked if the public
provided feedback on the types of materials.
Mrs. Henderson said that they didn’t get into that level of detail
about the design.
Ms. Aupperle said the latest
iterations stitch things together; it’s a means of quilting together the past
(old Cary Elementary) and the future as a technology town (new Cary Elementary,
the round about, the cell tower). She
said that tying everything together shows that the past and the future are
important.
Mrs. Robinson asked whether a
different type of material could be applied.
Mr. Torre said yes. He said
the box is pre-cast concrete made of the same material in texture and color. He
said the art infrastructure is integrated into the building but separate from
the concept of using the building extension growing out of the historic
building.
Mr. Frantz asked if brick could
be used for the bottom half of the tower. Mr.
Torre said yes. He said it is
important for the art to wrap the entire building in order to follow the
downtown requirements of all four sides of the building being treated similarly.
He said it also serves as an inspiration for the art participants in the
building.
Mr. Regutti said he would like
to see a series of versions so that they can make a better decision.
He said he would like to see different facades with the options in
different lighting to give them a chance to view it in a more realistic fashion.
Mr. Reinhart said simpler is
better. He said there are other ways
of representing art without using the abstract metal.
Mr. Rankin said that he agrees
the design needs to be toned down, maybe using more brick in the building; it
should be subtle and noticeable. He
said his biggest concern is having something that impresses throughout time.
Ms. Auppele said the board was
presented with three directions for the art.
She said they voted on the more conservative direction so that the
building would be a long lasting piece. She
said it’s important to remember that they are still at the concept stage.
Mrs. Robison asked about the
reflection in the design. Mr. Torre
said some of the panel pieces within the grid work would be made of a reflective
and translucent material to let light through and shadow.
Mrs. Robison said she is not
opposed to another rendering integrating more brick but that she doesn’t want
anything heavy. She said she would
like to see something other than brick at the base.
Mrs. Robinson said using pre-cast concrete colored in different ways and
fashioned similar to the metal could achieve a different sophisticated
impression.
Mr. Frantz asked about using a
water wall. Mr. Torre said that was
one of the earlier ideas discussed.
Mr. Portman said he likes the
design with more color that makes a statement about old and new; however, he
will not vote against any of the options if they’ve been thoroughly vetted.
Mrs. Robison said they need to
discuss the acceptability of the concept and the two points:
the art and architecture to announce new use of the building, and the use
of an integrated metal grid structure for an articulated design concept.
She asked if council agrees that they want to use the architecture and
the art to announce the new use of the building.
Mr. Frantz said he would like to see different options.
Mrs. Robinson said she would like to have four options for the
architectural elements and other options with the materials in the art piece.
Mrs. Henderson asked if they
should use a variety of patterns and colors.
Mrs. Robinson said yes. She
said she likes the verticality, the quilt concept, and the reflection and
shadows. She said the nine design
elements talk about the feeling of permanence provided by masonry products.
Mr. Regutti said to keep in
mind the usability and durability of the wall and what the building will look
like in the future.
Mrs. Adcock said she is fine
with looking at other options if that is the will of the group, but that the
issue seems to be whether the Council actually wants art or architecture.
Mrs. Adcock left the meeting at
Mrs. Robison asked when staff
would be able to bring the options back to the boards.
Mrs. Henderson said she would like to meet with staff and the design
team to get a schedule.
Mrs. Robison said that staff
should take the feedback from the boards, provide alternatives, and schedule
another joint work session in about a month.
Mr. Portman asked if staff
needed feedback on the interior. Mrs.
Henderson said yes, if there are concerns.
Mr. Frantz said that because of
the amount of brick and the historic nature of the building he is concerned
about the amount of chrome and glass on the inside.
Ms. Aupperle said that she’s
heard from board members that it’s of major importance to recognize and
respect the role old Cary Elementary plays in our history, but to still reflect
Cary’s present as a technology town looking toward a bright, shining future as
the fly tower is developed, which will be the visual transition from old Cary
Elementary to new Cary Elementary, and a visual invitation to downtown Cary.
Mrs. Robison adjourned the
meeting at