West Main Street Signage, Interpretation + Public Art
CLIENT
City of Charlottesville
LOCATION
Charlottesville, VA
Working with landscape architects Rhodeside & Harwell, H+R's interpretive plan seeks to infuse meaning into Charlottesville’s historic main thoroughfare, elevate the streetscape and encourage exploration down side streets. A park on the east end of the street evokes the Blue Ridge Mountains and highlights Charlottesville’s importance as a jumping-off point for western exploration through interpretation of the Monacan Indians and the Albemarle Explorers. Tactile topographic maps on the west end of the street provide an aerial perspective on the region and town. Additional interpretation is integrated into the streetscape at corner markers, at bus stops and at pavers engraved with quotes and historic names. H+R's work includes the exploration of several form options and a new building material—ultra high performance concrete (UHPC), which allows the sign to be very thin, but also strong and self-supporting.