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CCLRT Station Art Concepts

Central Corridor light rail station art concepts:
West Bank, East Bank and Fairview Avenue stations
Nancy Blum

Blum draws on nature themes, African fabrics

West Bank Station

Themes of a bird sanctuary and African fabrics are inspired by the nearby Mississippi River Flyway for migratory birds, and the area’s history of housing immigrants and members of the counterculture. Her concept envisions metal birds hung on mesh stairwell, masked/sandblasted/painted/cut stairwell mesh of African fabrics, or metal birds inset in platform concrete and hung on communication cabinets and sandblasted African fabrics and concrete.

[Note: A communications cabinet is a large structure that houses equipment at the platform. It can be covered in metal panels, brick, or architectural pre-cast concrete.]

East Bank Station

The University of Minnesota’s science theme of discovery, green research and nature are inspired by research on green roof technologies, prairie restoration and cultivation of habitats to nourish pollinators. Her concepts envision large cast-bronze flowers mounted on light posts, spirograph forms laser-cut of metal embedded in platform pavement, and honeybees flying from flower to flower, embedded in pavement.

Fairview Avenue Station

An oak theme is inspired by the neighborhood’s old oak forests found in its parks. The concept envisions a glass mosaic of acorn, bird’s nest, branches or oak leaves inset in concrete on light columns and electrical boxes; OR, the safety fence becomes the tops of oak trees in steel, iron and bronze; OR, large cast-iron branches with leaves of resin attached to the upper section of light columns.