Natural stone creates iconic public spaces

Citygarden is structured as three precincts delineated by two walls. The northern precinct represents the high upland ground and the river bluffs. The middle represents the low ground or floodplain. The southern band represents the cultivated river terraces. While all the territories are interrelated and interconnected, each precinct possesses distinct characteristics. The first wall, granite-capped and offering seating, snakes through the park’s southern portion. The arcing second wall measures 168 m (550 ft) long and is constructed of Missouri limestone.

While providing park space, Citygarden also serves as a sculpture garden including 24 modern and contemporary works. Other features include a massive ‘spray plaza’ and a split-level pool whose two parts are joined by a waterfall. The project has won the Urban Land Institute Amanda Burden Urban Open Space Award. The award is designed “to recognize an outstanding example of a well-used public open space that has spurred regeneration and the transformation of the surrounding community.”

During the opening ceremony for the park, Mayor Francis Slay said, “With one stroke, Citygarden has made downtown so much more attractive as a place to do business, and as a place to live, too.”

Durability and performance

The city of Cincinnati, Ohio, has used stone so abundantly in its public spaces and city landmarks that a paper highlighting this use of stone was published in celebration of Earth Science Week 2000. The paper, formatted as a walking tour celebrating stone as a natural resource, highlighted the extensive use of granite, including in the city center’s Fountain Square where Bavarian igneous rock composes the fountain itself. Both polished and unpolished granite elements  are used for paving, benches, stairs, railings, and a performance stage.

More recent developments in Cincinnati have continued to rely on stone as a durable, aesthetic building material. A transformation of the city’s riverfront began in 2008 when a piece of once-dormant land was envisioned to become the region’s new gateway. The project was a response to redevelopment of a 1960 interstate expressway that had consumed a huge swath of riverfront acreage and severed access between the city’s downtown and riverfront.

Construction on the riverfront started with the 18-ha (45-acre) Smale Riverfront Park and adjacent 7-ha (18-acre) development known as the Banks. The park design accommodated the area’s inevitable flooding as well as provided durability in the face of aggressive winter de-icing. Designers selected materials that would minimize ongoing maintenance and also provide a long-term cost advantage, with initial incrementally higher prices being offset by lower repair costs later. Granite was chosen for a grand stairway and bicycle ramp not only because of its resistance to salt and flood damage, but also for its color and texture that would enhance the park’s visual appeal.

Conclusion

The creation of a public space is an important task leaving a lasting imprint on a city’s legacy. Perhaps, the noted landscape architect Carol R. Johnson sums it up best: “A great event is not made out of any of these details: it is just a layer of enrichment in a whole experience.”

Since 1999, Jason Kron has specialized in the natural stone industry. In his current role as director of sales at Coldspring, Kron works with the architectural and design communities to meet their natural stone needs and with cemeteries for product and development needs. He can be reached via e-mail at jkron@coldspringusa.com.