Fire Station #1 Ilan Averbuch		Print This Page Email This Page

Update

•  SPA Advisory Board approved the new project on June 11, 2008

•  Project public meeting on  June 5, 2008
•  Selection panel meetings February and April 23, 2009

•  SPA Advisory Board approval of Ilan Averbuch as project artist  May 13 , 2009

•  Public meeting: community focus group November 4, 2009

•  Public meeting: artist proposal November 17, 2010
•  SPA Advisory Board approval of artist preliminary proposal on December 16, 2010
•  Fabrication ongoing

•  Sculpture installation May 13-20, 2011
•  Landscape and lighting installation anticipated September 2011
•  Accessibility to artwork anticipated September 2011
•  Dedication anticipated September/October 2011

Site Description
In order to meet response time goals of arriving on the scene of an emergency within four minutes, eighty percent of the time, two new fire stations in the downtown Scottsdale have been undertaken: Fire Station #2, which is complete, on Indian School near 75th Street; and the upgrade and relocation of Fire Station #1 to the southwest corner of Eldorado Park at 1901 N. Miller Road. Eldorado Park is part of the Indian Bend Wash, Scottsdale’s innovative greenbelt which is instrumental for the control of floodwaters during the infrequent but powerful rainfall events that occur in the desert. This greenbelt threads through the southern portion of the city and, due to its linear shape, thousands of Scottsdale’s citizens are within walking distance, with over one million people making use of it annually. The original engineering response to the flooding in the old wash of a fenced concrete lined channel 172 feet wide would have divided the City of Scottsdale. Instead the Indian Bend Wash greenbelt forms a 7 ½ mile swath of recreational open space through the heart of the community, and is an unqualified success for the city environmentally, aesthetically, and functionally.

Artwork: The Bell, the Flower, and the Wash, a sculpture for Fire Station #1 at Eldorado Park

The artwork consists of free-standing elements made of Cor-ten steel and recycled stone, creating a sculptural environment—and a dialog with the site, close to the Fire Station and part of the park.  The two large elements, shaped like large funnels or flowers and inspired by firefighter’s bells and trumpets, are positioned one upright, open to the sky, and the other resting on its side.  The wide mouth of the resting funnel opens to pedestrians and motorists, and the narrow end is situated on top of a long line of massive stones.  The stones are granite blocks cut flat at the top and tapered at the bottom.  They lean on each other as if walking together in a team, connecting only at their upper part. The stones are wide enough at the top be a comfortable seating surface with shade oft provided by the shelter of the sculpture canopies.

Trumpet Flowers

Firefighters' Trumpet	Firefighters' Bell

Carved into the top surface of the line of stones is a shallow 3-inch-deep trough, which is a clue of something more to be discovered.  Hidden beneath the ground is a pipe starting from the standing funnel, passing underground and through the first stone, and leading to the beginning of the trough.  When rain falls, the wide mouth of the funnel will collect the water and direct it through the pipe, filling the trough.  This line of water will connect the fragmented line of stones, unifying it into one body.  When there is more water than the capacity of the trough, the water will overflow at the end. Some will pour into the grass, the remainder will evaporate in the strong Arizona sun.  Scottsdale has few but strong rainfalls, so this function will happen only occasionally, like the flooding of the Indian Bend Wash. 

Schematic Passive Water Gathering System for Sculpture

The Bell, The Flower and The Wash combines image and function, instilling layers and possibilities. To some it may become a landmark sculpture for Eldorado Park, to others an iconic form reminiscent of something not quite named, and to others a place to come, sit, and contemplate.

Installation Photos

Artist aligns upright funnel next to granite bench	Artist aligns second funnel on granite bench

Project Artist

Ilan Averbuch had built sculptures that create identities for many different kinds of places, from the Trail Blazers Basketball Arena in Portland, Oregon to a quiet and protected seating area in the center of the University of Connecticut. His most recent large-scale work announces one of the main entry points of the new light rail system in Phoenix, at the intersection of Camelback Road and Central Avenue. While acknowledging that in a public space, sculpture can be a guiding element, mark an entrance, direct attention, or aid circulation, it also communicates ideas and connects the viewer emotionally to the space.

Project Manager

Jana Weldon

janaw@sccarts.org