Right now the Department of Transportation (DOT) is deciding what our new bridge will look like at Elmwood Avenue, traversing Scajaquada Creek, which is also the gateway to the gallery/museum district and Elmwood Village.
The bridge also acts as a connector between Amherst Street and the Elmwood Village, essentially. The bridge in question is located on the upper right of the following photo.
Some might say that this bridge is not as much of a big deal, but if you look at the context, this bridge should be a “crown jewel” at this location, rather than a utilitarian afterthought. Which means that the stakeholders (Olmsted Conservancy, Albright-Knox, Buffalo State College, etc.) should be paying close attention to the designs from the get go.
When it comes to this Elmwood bridge, we are not talking about a miscellaneous piece of a random Buffalo streetscape that nobody will notice. We are talking about something rather significant… something historic and monumental.
Of course we can never replace what was originally there due to the expressway (eventually transitioning to a boulevard) that travels underneath, but that doesn’t mean that we should settle for anything less than “great”.
Is the DOT heading in the right direction? The two directions that we are seeing primarily pit steel vs rusticated “stone”.
Which of the renderings do you like, and why?
For background on this issue, click here. Click on the images below to enlarge.
· Concept 1A – Simulated stone arch fascia treatment with taller pier that can be topped with lighting or artwork (TBD) and “stronger” abutment at the south end of the bridge to create asymmetrical appearance.
· Concept 1B – Simulated stone arch fascia treatment with taller pier that can be topped with lighting or artwork (TBD) and matching abutments to create symmetrical appearance.
· Concept 2 – Steel panel arch fascia treatment with matching abutments to create symmetrical appearance.
As a reference, here were the four renderings that were originally sent to Buffalo Rising from the DOT before the final three came into play…