New ‘bike rack art’ installed in NW Crossing
NorthWest Crossing has installed a new bicycle rack in its neighborhood center, just in time for the Hullabaloo street festival.
The rack, which was designed and built by local metal artist and sculptor Andy Wachs, features a primary design of different colored circles. The 1960s-inspired design was created by Wachs for both functionality as a bike rack, and for its aesthetic appeal as a piece of public art.
“Due to the prominent location of the piece in the heart of NorthWest Crossing, I wanted to develop something that would serve as a sculpture as well as a place for visitors to park their bikes,” said Wachs. “I went through several rounds of designs before landing on this final iteration, which utilizes the whole space we had available and adds a point of interest to the intersection where it is installed.”
Placed in the empty lot on the southeast corner of NW Crossing Drive and Fort Clatsop Street, the new rack re-emphasizes the neighborhood’s commitment to alternative means of transportation. Earlier this week, West Bend Property Company, the developer of NorthWest Crossing, won a Big Chainring Award for its efforts to advance bicycling and walking in Deschutes County.
Andy Wachs has other pieces of art on display in NorthWest Crossing, including his metal sculpture “Vertical Margin” in the neighborhood center and the metal NorthWest Crossing logos on the trail crossing at Lemhi Pass Drive. For the past 17 years Wachs has made a career in the metal arts. In 2005, he opened Weld Design Studio, where he designs and fabricates architectural metal work, furniture and fine art. He holds a degree in Fine Arts from Western Washington University. welddesignstudio.com
This piece is part of a growing trend of “bike rack art” appearing in cities all around the country. It is designed to be moveable, so can be relocated as the neighborhood center growth continues.
About NorthWest Crossing
NorthWest Crossing is a mixed-use community on Bend’s west side which has won several national awards for its green building practices, as well as being a 2011 recipient of the Environmental Center’s Sustainability Award and 2010 Building a Better Central Oregon Award. West Bend Property Company LLC, a partnership of Brooks Resources Corporation and Tennant Family Limited Partnership, is developing the community. Both companies, based in Bend, have solid histories of commitment to thoughtful, quality real estate developments in Central Oregon. Their goal of creating a livable and sustainable community at NorthWest Crossing is rooted in their understanding and respect for the true essence of Bend and the Central Oregon lifestyle. http://www.northwestcrossing.com
