Here’s the fifth instillation to be erected at Silo City, and this is the only one that can be seen by passersby as they head from the Outer Harbor to the old First Ward. At first glimpse, this instillation looks as if it is actually part of the industrial site – a remnant of Silo City’s past that was never disassembled. Upon closer inspection, the structure actually glistens, as it was recently fabricated using some newer materials. Possibly a skate ramp? A solar panel? No, the sculpture is an ode to the silo site, and is a tribute to the art of decomposition. Along with Wind Bell Tower, Paper Lever and Parasitic Sculpture, Wind Bell Tower was one of the myriad thesis projects designed and installed by students from the University at Buffalo School of Architecture and Planning, under the direction of Associate Professor Jean La Marche.
Concrete Canvas
Group: Scott Archimbault, Andrew Casselman, Anthony Naples, Braedy Chapman
The site of the historic Grain Elevators is an enormous part of the history and identity of the City of Buffalo. As a rust-belt city, Buffalo now has some of its most historic sites weathering and decaying, creating a lasting imprint of time on the artifacts of the built environment. Rather than view the process as a negative one, this process can be seen as adding to the artifact’s identity and appeal. This view inspires a project that similarly hopes to capture the magic and beauty of material degradation over time, and capture that process on a stele of concrete. This project utilizes the inherent galvanic qualities of metals to encourage these material properties to emerge and teach onlookers of the long-term effects of these material relationships. Overtime, the bleed of rust, oxidation, and patina onto the concrete will produce an ever-changing snapshot at the material properties that make Buffalo and Silo City interesting and exciting: a glimpse into the fascinating and lurid nature of decay.
