Columbus, Indiana
Echoes of the Hill
Framing pasts, presents, and futures
While 2023 marks the 30th anniversary of the Mill Race Park designed by MVVA and Stanley Saitowitz, this milestone inspired Studio Zewde to explore the deep history of the site—from indigenous landscape technologies, to the River Rats, to the Mill Race Monster, and beyond. Studio Zewde also asked the Columbus community their favorite stories, favorite spots, and imagined futures for Mill Race Park. What emerged was a strong relationship to landmarks such as the hill, the pond, the trails, and the follies, while other spaces represented possibilities for future programs.
As such, Studio Zewde’s Exhibit Columbus installation engages the interface between one of these beloved landmarks—the hill—and one of these spaces of opportunity—Festival Field.
In the dedication ceremony 30 years ago, Michael Van Valkenburgh made explicit reference to the hill’s form echoing the mound building traditions indigenous to this land. Studio Zewde’s installation is an amplification of this echo: a mirrored form of the iconic hill, created through a series of red frames, on the north side of the amphitheater. The mirroring in effect makes the mound’s circle complete, suggesting a civic round for gathering. Moreover, as a hollow form, the interior of the installation can be activated by events or everyday life, while offering a festive backdrop to the open lawn. In so doing, the installation presents a literal and metaphorical “frame” on the pasts, presents, and futures of this land, while invoking its possibilities.
TEAM
Studio Zewde, Landscape Design
J. Irwin and Xenia S. Miller Prize Presented by Deer Crossing Fund
Fabrication Supporters: Vinc Math, Silman, Brose Partington Studio, Vince Rubio, City of Columbus Parks of Public Works
Additional Credits: Volunteers from the community, Cummins, and Toyota. Indiana University Students.
