WALKER ART CENTER OPEN FIELD
Location: Minneapolis, Minnesota
VJAA collaborated with the Walker Art Center to transform its green backyard into a temporary new entry and cultural commons to celebrate the creative assets and collective knowledge that abounds in the Twin Cities. Initiated with a design community charette, the newly transformed plaza was the site of Open Field, a multi-year experiment on participation and public space. Summertime events included Rock-the-Garden (a concert hosting 10,000 people), a series of large-scale art installations, classes and programs for all ages, and a neighborhood space with free Wi-Fi access. The space provided the Walker with long-term site improvements in addition to new program areas.
VJAA developed three components to organize the site: a corten steel “raft” with trees and benches for informal gathering, classroom activities, evening films, and projected media; and an entry court, or “harbor”, for educational programming; and a summertime grill, and wintertime ice bar. The project also incorporated remediation of the existing roof below, accommodation for emergency vehicles, and resolved existing site lighting and drainage issues. A temporary installation, the space had become so popular that its plaza concept and grove of locusts became a permanent part of the 2018 comprehensive landscape design.