Design Shouldn’t Make Maintenance More Difficult
The new Walker Art Center is very cool looking. As I walked by this afternoon, I saw a maintenance person weed whacking the twenty or so perfect circles of grass.
Yes, the green dots contrast nicely to the square, pale sidewalk and the other architectural elements. Seriously, though, making something cool shouldn’t make it more of a hassle.
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Well, the Walker is really more ‘art’ than design, and no one ever said art had to be (or even should be) practical.
However, it does remind me of where I work. I work in the Minnesota Judical Building (just east of the capital). On the 3rd floor, we have a 3′ wide planting ledge. The idea, I imagine, was a bit of greenery for the folks on our floor.
Alas, right around july, all we see are 2′ high dandelions and other assorted weeds, so, every year, we have to hire folks to walk along our ledge pulling weeds 3 stories up. *sigh*
Actually, the “grass” dots are apparently sort of practical. According to a Walker tour guide, the grass areas help the Walker fullfil a city design requirement that there be a certain minimal amount of permenable space on the property not occupied by the building. This certainly sounds plausible.