Client: The Rose Kennedy Greenway and the Charles River Esplanade

Overview

Hatchlings was designed to be a solar-powered light installation that pays joyful homage to one of Boston’s architectural gems and envisions a brighter, more environmentally sustainable future for our city. Selected as the winning design via The Greenway’s open call process in Spring 2023, and will be on display again throughout the winter months of 2024/25. Hatchlings was inspired by a whimsical question we asked ourselves in a creative brainstorming session: What if the Hatch Shell hatched “shells” that wandered off through the parks like adventurous ducklings? By intertwining two pieces of Boston’s iconic history, the Hatch Memorial Shell and the story Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey, this installation is highly specific to Boston. With two Hatchlings on the Charles River Esplanade and seven Hatchlings on the Rose Kennedy Greenway, the Hatchlings appear across the city in a range of colors and sizes from large (9 ft tall) with a circular wood stage, to mini (2.5 ft tall) tucked into the landscaping.

Goals

The Hatchlings are meant to be explored and enjoyed, and serve as locations for ongoing performances, photo backdrops, and public activations. Incorporating the use of solar energy throughout the darkest months of the year was a design challenge we as a creative studio were excited to meet, and something that we felt was critical to advancing the conversation about sustainability in Boston. This creative activation has provided Bostonians with an experiential destination during the coldest months of the year while showcasing an innovative and sustainable approach to winter lights.

Process

Each pavilion was constructed in the warehouse adjacent to the HHH studio at Greylock WORKS in North Adams, MA. With a team of 10 people, we started by building wood “jig” structures then welding the quarter domes from weldable steel rebar. Each Hatchling then moved to the next section of the warehouse where lights were carefully woven on in intricate patterns. The Hatchlings were transported on one flatbed truck in a nested configuration, because they were solar powered, whenever the truck passed into a tunnel all the Hatchlings spontaneously illuminated.

Additional Information

This project is a collaborative undertaking between the Greenway Conservancy and the Esplanade Association. With seven Hatchlings on the Rose Kennedy Greenway and two on the Charles River Esplanade, this project visually links two of Boston’s most-used downtown outdoor spaces.