





Client: 4Culture
Location: Seattle, WA, United States
Completion date: 2014
Artwork budget: $1,200,000
Project Team
Artist
Barbara Grygutis
Barbara Grygutis Sculpture LLC
Industry Resource
Timothy Lane, PE
HNTB Companies (Engineer)
Landscape Architect
HNTB
HNTB Landscape Architect
Public Art Agent
Jordan Howland
4Culture
Overview
This monumental work reuses existing gears from the original bascule bridge over the Duwamish River, recycling them into the new replacement bridge railing and illuminated gateway pillars. Grygutis worked with the community to determine the most impactful locations for the artwork and learned that honoring the historic nature of the old bridge was important to the locals. The railing and gateway features highlight the beauty inherent in the engineering of the 1930s bascule arm bridges, daylighting the mechanisms which moved the historic bridge.
Goals
The culmination of my work as lead artist, with extensive design team and community collaboration, was showcased at the completion of the new South Park Bridge in Seattle, Washington. To create the artwork for the iconic gateway bridge, I chose to up-cycle the original historic bridge parts into a 2000 foot long art railing and majestic, lighted rocker-arm gateway features inspired by local community meeting input. The success of this project is thanks to close collaboration with HNTB’s Engineering, Architecture, and Design Departments.
Additional Information
Materials: Re-purposed components from original 1931 South Park Bridge, powder-coated steel. Dimensions: 4’H x 3,500’L x 6”D (railing), 25’H (gateway entry features)