norfolk | WPA - Work Program Architects

Chrysler Museum of Art Public Sculpture

Written by WPA on October 30, 2020. Posted in Arts & Design District, Chrysler Museum, Civic, Downtown Norfolk, NEON, Norfolk, Public Art, Virginia, WPA, WPA Studio.

Construction is complete! A colorful 32-foot sculpture at the corner of Brambleton Avenue and Yarmouth Street, and just across from the York Street light rail stop, will announce Norfolk’s rich art culture, directing attention to the Chrysler Museum of Art and the adjacent NEON Arts District. The location will raise awareness of Norfolk arts to thousands of people passing daily through this busy corridor.

From a conversation with Artist Tommy Fox

What do you hope people will take away from this work?

“I honestly can’t anticipate what people might take away from the viewing the piece, but generally I hope it makes them happy. I also hope it engages the realization of a middle ground between pure realism (classical statuary) and pure abstraction (rusty steel I-beams welded at right angles). Somewhere between there is a lot of playfulness and room for material exploration. I would like the viewer to simultaneously think, ‘I could have thought of that,’ and ‘I have no idea how they built that thing.’ There is no right or wrong way to engage with it.”

See the blog post written by Thom White on the Chrysler Museum’s Torch: Stories from the Chrysler blog.

Olde Huntersville Wins Award

Written by WPA on September 28, 2020. Posted in Awards, Blog, Norfolk, Olde Huntersville, Urban Design, Virginia, WPA.

The APA (American Planning Association) Virginia Chapter has awarded the Dogwood Award — Virginia’s Citizen Planners of the Year to the Olde Huntersville Community.

The Next Wave Campaign with The Elizabeth River Project

Written by WPA on June 17, 2020. Posted in Blog, Civic, Education, Educational, Hampton Roads, Norfolk, Uncategorized, WPA, WPA Studio.

The Elizabeth River Project is taking up position on the frontlines of the international quest to combat impacts of sea level rise on urban waterfront communities. WPA is proud to be designing the first facility on the East Coast intentionally to be constructed as a resilience model in the urban flood plain.

OpenNorfolk — A Toolkit to Help Restaurants and Small Retail Businesses During COVID-19

Written by WPA on May 22, 2020. Posted in Civic, Downtown Norfolk, Norfolk, Parklet, Re-imagining, Uncategorized, WPA, WPA Studio.

Work Program Architects is leading an effort to OpenNorfolk, as cities and towns around the world try to imagine living with COVID-19.

Inform Magazine: Designer Q+A with Thom White, AIA

Written by WPA on April 23, 2020. Posted in AIA, Blog, Downtown Norfolk, Hampton Roads, Norfolk, WPA, WPA Studio.

AIA Virginia’s Inform Magazine is back in action and WPA’s Thom White was interviewed for this issue’s Designer Q&A.

Happy Birthday! MEGA CAKE

Written by WPA on July 19, 2019. Posted in Burn, Event, Exhibit, Hampton Roads, Norfolk, Public Art, Structures, Uncategorized, Virginia Burners.

The MEGA CAKE’s journey to Burning Man is getting close to it’s fiery conclusion! Fresh off its successful test build at the Hermitage Museum and Gardens, the 50′ tall sculpture has just been listed in Forbes Magazine as on of the “Best of the Best” to watch for in 2019.

From the article: MEGA CAKE is a large scale interactive sculpture of a 4-tier birthday cake that will serve as both a singular piece of art and a place to explore and discover art within. According to the artists, “We are a diverse group of misfits who came together due to a shared love of teamwork and crazy ideas. Each of us has a different combination of reasons for traveling to the Black Rock desert to spend a week laboring to bring a 50-foot wooden cake to life, only to watch it burn shortly thereafter.”

Architect Thom White of Norfolk’s WPA has designed a 12-sided wooden structure resembling a 4-tiered birthday cake. Art glass embellishments representing the animals of the Chinese zodiac and the constellations of the western zodiac will catch the light of the sun and sparkle like sugar in the distance. Plywood panels line each faceted tier and have perforations which recall cake icing embellishments while letting wind pass through. Flexible LED light strips are draped along the top of each level, adding to the icing motif. A propane-fueled “poofer” on the top-most tier will provide flame effects that will fire off at least once per hour at night.

“Our mission has evolved since work began over a year ago. At first, the Cake was thought of primarily as a place to gather, play, and observe Burning Man’s Black Rock City. Then, as the work progressed and construction began, we realized the piece is a singular work of art with vast potential for embedded meaning. MEGA CAKE facilitates a journey through the distinct moments that people encounter along the arc of one’s lifetime.”

Installations: The Best of the Best

Forbes Magazine article Jul 13, 2019

SCULPTING WATER | LAUREL LUKASZEWSKI

Written by WPA on June 12, 2019. Posted in Blog, Downtown Norfolk, Event, Exhibit, Norfolk, Uncategorized, WPA, WPA Gallery.

SCULPTING WATER | LAUREL LUKASZEWSKI Opening: Friday, June 21 Showing: June 21-Sept 6, 2019

popblossom is pleased to present SCULPTING WATER, featuring the recent works of sculptor Laurel Lukaszewski, Opening Friday, June 21 and Showing June 21-Sept 6, 2019

Washington, DC based artist, Laurel Lukaszewski, has a lifelong fascination with water, enamored by the movement, patterns and rhythms as well as the life that inhabits it. In her new exhibition, SCULPTING WATER, it becomes readily apparent that the natural world and more specifically, water, plays a significant role in Lukaszewski’s creative endeavors. Her most recent works of ceramic sculptures and site specific installations are stunning interpretations of the visual rhythms and the incessant flux of water. According to Lukaszewski, her work aims to capture a snapshot where this constant movement is stilled if only for a moment in time. Her installation based works reflect this continual change, existing for the duration of the exhibition, and then changing if and when configured again.

GUARDIAN (detail) . 2018 . Porcelain, Wax Resist, Glaze . 12” w x 15” d x 9.5” h

ULI – Hampton Roads

Written by WPA on June 6, 2019. Posted in Blog, Downtown Norfolk, Educational, Event, Government, Norfolk, Residential, ULI, Urban Design, WPA.

Speakers:

Jeremy Sharp, AICP, Zoning Administrator, City of Norfolk

and
Peter Johnston, Lead Urban Designer, Work Program Architects

Program Description:

This program will explore the purpose and requirements of Norfolk’s Commercial and Mixed-Use Pattern Book. The Book has been created for developers to make the development process more predictable. The Book is to be used as a companion piece to the new zoning ordinance and includes a checklist for new project development.

Venue
Slover Library
235 E Plume Street
Community Engagement Room: 6th Floor
Norfolk, VA 23510

Agenda

June 20, 2019

3:30 pm – 4:00 pm: Registration + Networking

4:00 pm – 5:00 pm: Program + Q&A

5:00 pm – 6:00 pm: Cocktail Reception

REGISTER NOW: The Future of Development According to the New Norfolk Commercial & Mixed-Use Pattern Book

The Hermitage Museum and Gardens “2030 Vision”

Written by WPA on April 23, 2019. Posted in Blog, Carriage House, Event, Hampton Roads, Hermitage, Norfolk, Uncategorized, WPA.

The planning process will continue with a series of Listening Sessions, which will ensure that the voices of key stakeholders, community members and supporters are heard as we plan for the Hermitage’s future. We would love for you to join us in a fast-paced discussion to identify the most vital aspects of the Museum & Gardens and to consider how they contribute to an aspirational vision for the near, middle, and long-term. Findings from the session will be incorporated into the “2030 Vision” document and a new Master Site Plan that will guide us for the next decade.

Join us on May 7^th for the first community Listening Session

Two times are available; please come to the one that best suits your schedule:

9–10:30 am and 5:30–7:30 pm

There will be a tour of the grounds led by our Curator of Gardens and Grounds, Philip Riske, beginning 45 minutes before each session (8:15 am & 4:45 pm).

The agenda for the Listening Session will include a summary of the evolution of the Hermitage and an update on programming and current events. Staff from Work Program Architects will then lead the group in a discussion looking toward the future of the Museum and Grounds. Breakout groups will be formed to focus on key areas and site factors and to generate ideas for improvements, enhancements, and new opportunities – no idea will be too small or too large! The session will conclude with a discussion about next steps in the process and how you can remain involved.

If either session does not work with your schedule you can still contribute. We will have future sessions and you can always send a comment to info@thehermitagemuseum.org.

Hermitage Museum & Gardens | 7637 North Shore Rd. Norfolk, VA 23505

www.TheHermitageMuseum.org | 757.423.2052

Transformation

Written by WPA on April 16, 2019. Posted in Blog, Burn, Downtown Norfolk, Educational, Event, Exhibit, Glass, Hampton Roads, Model, Norfolk, Public Art, Structures, Virginia Burners, WPA, WPA Gallery, WPA Studio.

Thank you to all of the artists and guest for a fantastic opening of TRANSFORMATION.
The exhibition will be on display until May 24^th at the WPA Gallery. The gallery is located in the historic Monticello Arcade at 208 E Plume Street, Norfolk, VA.

#transformation

#burningman

#tidewaterburners

Tag: norfolk