Client: Arlington County

Overview

The West Glebe Bridge connects two communities with diverse populations, promoting social engagement and access to recreational open space and habitat at Four Mile Run in Arlington County and Alexandria, VA.

The aesthetic components for this rehabilitation project take inspiration from the river’s currents and the landscape of the site, suggesting strong curvilinear movements that are echoed in the shadows cast by the grills. The shaped grills rise and fall to dramatize the passage across the bridge, opening in the center to views out to the river below. The patterning for the concrete bridge parapets and the laser-cut grills features a series of gradating sweeps and dots that reference flowing water. The brick red grills and their expressive hole patterns invite peek-a-boo views of the river. Large-scale painted graphics activate the space under the bridge. Nighttime lighting in the bridge handrail and the ceiling under the bridge promotes safety and a welcoming experience for those crossing or using the Four Mile Run Trail.

The bridge provides access along the Four Mile Run trail, leading to a sister bridge, Ridge Road Bridge. Vicki Scuri SiteWorks is the Design Lead for aesthetics on both bridges.

Goals

The goals for West Glebe Bridge are to connect and provide safe passage for residents, and visitors across Four Mile Run, providing access to open space and recreational land supporting habitat for birds and wildlife while promoting environmental stewardship and awareness of place. The renovation project transforms a utilitarian structure, amidst high voltage powerlines and industry, into a site-sensitive experience, promoting views of the river below. The project promotes local identity, and placemaking, and celebrates Four Mile Run.

• Transform a utilitarian structure to promote community identity at Four Mile Run.
• Promote social engagement through interaction with the project’s aesthetics and site.
• Promote connectivity by providing access and awareness of Four Mile Run with views to the river, and a mixed-use path supporting recreation, connecting to the Four Mile Run Trail below the bridge.
• Promote safety and 24/7 experience by providing an illuminated handrail and lighting under the bridge.

Process

Kokosing Design-Build Team was selected with RDA and Artist, Vicki Scuri. Vicki Scuri led the aesthetic approach for the bridge renovation, in close collaboration with RDA. The Design Team engaged in bi-monthly meetings with the client and stakeholders that included Public Art project managers from Arlington County and Alexandria, VA. Design guidelines were made available to the Design Team, emphasizing mitigating the industrial nature of the site, with an emphasis on the natural habitat and the river, that runs through the site, promoting a safe, friendly, and engaging crossing.


Vicki Scuri conducted an extensive site review and interacted with both communities through stakeholders, which informed the approach to the project. Working closely with Alexandr Polzin, she created numerous presentations, with visualizations, for a year, to develop the aesthetic approach for the parapet, grills, and lighting concepts. At one point, the stakeholders voiced that the grill concept which included towers was too industrial, not organic enough. They wanted to see a design inspired by the landscape more than the industrial context. Vicki listened and respectfully redesigned the grill concept to meet and exceed everyone’s expectations, resulting in an award-winning bridge.

Additional Information

"Vicki Scuri SiteWorks successfully interpreted community feedback, and policy guidance and navigated a challenging design and approval process into a poetic expression that encourages the user to admire the nature and setting around them. The bridge connects Alexandria and Arlington, VA neighborhoods and re-connects users with nature through biophilic design. Her team produced high-quality drawings, communicated frequently, and asserted an exceptional level of excellence in fabrication, finish, and installation. The West Glebe Road bridge is an enduring testament to what an artist can do to integrate public art into vital civic infrastructure while reflecting on the industrial past, local geography, and the movement of water. The artwork gracefully serves an important safety function while providing comfort and enjoyment for all users. " Kris Krider, AICP County Architect and Urban Design Supervisor, Arlington County, VA