Rain Shelter at Mesa Art Center
Mesa Arizona 2009
Rain is a welcome phenomenon in the desert city of Mesa Arizona where temperatures often exceed 100 degrees. The Rain Shelter concept emerged as a playful way to respond to the architecture and engage the imaginations of people waiting for the bus.
The raindrops themselves are chrome plated aluminum turnings that reflect colors and light from the surroundings and the people activating the shelter.
Press Statement:
At the southeast corner of Main and Center streets, you can literally see yourself in transit. Standing below the shiny chrome-shaped raindrops that hang from the ceiling of the station stop, the dynamic feature makes movement and sound occur from the wind.
“The Mesa Art Center is an amazing architectural complex, I love the way that the shade sails and outdoor artworks animate the entire site. So, I was thrilled to have the opportunity to design a transit stop for the Center. I wanted to come up with a concept that would to relate to the other siteworks, but, still have its own energy and identity. The Rain Shelter idea emerged as a playful way to relate to the desert and engage the imagination.
The raindrops themselves can sway in the breeze and reflect colors and light from the surroundings and the people activating the shelter.
The complex work of designing the shelter fell on the shoulders of the engineers at Transystems and Landscape architects at A Dye Design, and the real work of building this jigsaw puzzle was accomplished by the ultra capable craftsmen at Magnum Companies.
Photographs by Brett Drury