New Public Artwork “Tidal Radiance” to Enhance Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier

Thursday, 09 December 2010

The facade of the Port of San Diego’s new Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier will be enhanced by a luminous public artwork by Leni Schwendinger, an internationally-known artist and lighting designer.

By day, the large-scale artwork, titled “Tidal Radiance,” blends into the blue and green colors of the building. But at night, the artwork transforms the facade into a dynamic, richly colored, form.

After nightfall, colorful patterns are projected onto the pier’s surface. The patterns are evocative of the natural elements of San Diego Bay.

Schwendinger will speak about the artwork during the opening day events at the pavilion on December 18, 2010. The New York-based artist will discuss her work in an artist talk at 2:30 p.m. that day at the pavilion, located at 1000 North Harbor Drive (map), near the foot of West Broadway and North Harbor Drive.

Adding drama and another focal point to the North Embarcadero, the dynamic display will be visible to pavilion visitors, pedestrians strolling along the Embarcadero and motorists traveling on North Harbor Drive.

“The interplay between viewer and sculpture is integral to Tidal Radiance,” said Schwendinger. “A spectator becomes engaged in the artwork through spatial and sensory immersion in the luminous projections along the entry and perimeter of the pavilion.”

Tidal Radiance, a $418,000 public art project, was funded through the Port of San Diego’s Percent for Art program.

The 45-foot-high and 16-foot wide wall sculpture blends into the architecture of the front of the pavilion during daylight. The textured stainless steel forms and deeply-cast clear-glass shapes, reminiscent of fish scales and seashells, catches the rays of the sun, creating a sparkling effect on the building’s facade.

“It’s important that the sculpture remains neutral during the day to set the stage for a dramatic and luminous transformation during the darkened hours,” said Schwendinger.

At nightfall, chromatic seasonal compositions relevant to San Diego Bay’s culture and environment appear through lighting. For example, luminous greens are used to express the whale watching season, and glowing gold the cruise season.

The cycles of the moon are also represented. During a full moon, the artwork emanates pale blues, while the new and quarter moons are represented by deep and medium blue hues.

“Like all of my work, Tidal Radiance contains the element of change,” said Schwendinger.

Schwendinger was a featured artist in 2006 in the Cooper Hewitt Museum’s “National Design Triennial: Design Life Now,” an ongoing exhibition program presenting innovative American designers.

Her completed projects include SpectraScape in Dallas, Texas; Chroma Streams: Tide and Traffic in Glasgow, Scotland; and Dreaming in Color, a three-dimensional color field in Seattle, Washington.

Her studio, Light Projects, has received awards for its installations from the American Institute of Architects, Illuminating Engineering Society and the International Association of Lighting Designers.

The Port Pavilion on Broadway Pier was designed by Bermello Ajamil & Partners and built by Jaynes Corporation.

The 52,000-square foot structure is the Port of San Diego’s first “green” building and was designed and constructed to qualify for silver-level Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification.

The Public Art Department seeks to expand opportunities for the citizens of California and visitors to the region to experience public art that embodies the essence of the Port’s maritime, environmental and civic character.

The department encourages the creative expression of artists in order to enhance the visual excitement, aesthetic appeal and cultural richness of the tidelands.