City Thread, a concept from SPORTS, the architecture and design collaborative of Molly Hunker and Greg Corso in Syracuse, New York, has been selected as the Passageways 2.0 winner. City Thread is an art-as-urban-infrastructure installation that uses a continuous sculpture through the alley that allows for a multitude of uses including informal lounging/sitting, mini-stages, framing community murals or art, large gatherings, farmers’ market, and moving screenings, among others.
Passageways 2.0 is the next round of alleyway art and architecture installations to go up in Downtown Chattanooga’s City Center thanks to River City Company, Cogent Studio and Public Art Chattanooga.
Through an open request for proposals (RFP) process that began in fall 2017, 45 total proposals were submitted for Passageways 2.0 representing 11 countries.
The 45 proposals were evaluated by a design jury comprised of international award winning architects, planners and artists along with a local selection committee who narrowed the field to three.
The design teams were tasked with creating a vibrant pedestrian corridor that is adaptable for use as a small public event space and permanently activates the 6,200 square foot alleyway located behind the new Market City Center mixed use 10 story development at 728 Market St. The three semi-finalist teams presented their refined concepts in early May, and the public had an opportunity to review the proposals, ask questions of the semi-finalist teams and provide feedback that the selection committee took into consideration when voting.
”We are honored to have been selected to create and install City Thread in Downtown Chattanooga,” said Molly Hunker, co-captain with Greg Corso of SPORTS. “We were inspired by the legacy of Chattanooga and attitude of adventure and exploration that the Scenic City is known for. The project aims to bring this same sense of discovery and fun to the unused alley downtown. We have loved getting to know Chattanooga over the past year, and are thrilled to work on the project there for its fall opening.”
City Thread is an $80,000 piece that will be installed in fall of 2018. Once completed, a public unveiling party will be held to introduce Chattanoogans to their newest public space. In addition to the opening event, River City Company will program this space with events in the following months to draw more people into the space in addition to its daily accessibility by the general public.
“The three semi-finalist teams presented excellent concepts that made for a tough selection process,” said Kim White, CEO of River City Company. “City Thread was ultimately the best choice for the alley in creating a high quality installation that adds to our unique sense of place along with creating a space that both caters to everyday use by surrounding properties and provides an excellent setup for events and community use.”
The two other semifinalists were:
· Alley Grass (NEW OFFICE from Boston, Ma.) –interactive sculptures that mimic large scale blades of grass that gently glow a variety of colors at night. Team members included Dai Ren and Steven Karvelius.
· Graffix Alley (Graffix Collective from Chattanooga) – a street art intensive installation with dynamic lighting and a central linear multipurpose table. Team members included Wayne Williams, Aaron Cole, Ray Padron, Jason Meyer, Strat Parrott and Eric Finley Jr., the artist also known as “SEVEN”.
Passageway’s 2.0 is made possible through the Benwood and Lyndhurst Foundations. For more information about the program, please visit www.passagewayschattanooga.com.