Page 82 - ArchitectureDC_Spring2015

Daytime view of Quill. Photo © Serge Hoeltschi

Quill at night. Photo © Serge Hoeltschi

Adding Fine Feather
to a Featureless Façade

Quill, by artist Christian Moeller [no relation to the editor of this Project: Quill, Arlington, VA
magazine], is also a new installation in the bustling Arlington area.
This piece is located on the corner of North Fort Myer Drive, 19th Artist: Christian Moeller
Street, and North Moore Street on an exterior wall of the Dominion Fabricators: Manifold Forms; Carlson Arts
Power substation. Moeller, a professor of design media arts at Art Consultants: Via Partnership
UCLA whose work is often in the realm of public art, was inspired Architects: Davis, Carter, Scott
by the pattern of bald eagle feathers and sought to commemorate Structural Engineers: KCE Structural
the bird’s return to the Potomac River. Like Scuri’s bridges, Quill General Contractor: Clark Construction Group
also plays with light and changes as the day goes on. The feather
pattern is made up of about 20,000 round dots on an aluminum
surface that appear green in the sunlight. The dots also absorb
solar energy throughout the day and then glow at night, while
also reflecting streetlights and passing vehicles.

Marshall and Scuri agree that their projects are hybrids
between art and architecture since they are creative representations
of communal spaces. Public art often stems from ideas not only to
improve the visual appeal of a city, but also to enhance the spirit
of community. The designers of Chuck Brown Memorial Park,
Arlington Boulevard, and Quill succeeded in creating public art that
keeps the city’s history alive by encouraging conversation and
bringing joy to the residents of Washington and Arlington.

Close-up of the luminous disks. Photo © Serge Hoeltschi

80 PUBLIC ART