Integrated Public Art by Janet Echelman
Water Sky Garden, an integrated public art piece by artist Janet Echelman, is inspired by Asian gardens and the natural elements of water, sky, and wind. It is a central feature of an integrated landscape design for the Oval site.

• Two giant red “sky lanterns” created from a translucent, durable fabric are suspended over a large pond adjoining the Oval.

• The lanterns move with the riverside winds.

• The lanterns’ red colour references Chinese colour tradition. 

• A meandering wooden walkway influenced by Japanese gardens crosses over and under the water and beside the giant lanterns.

• The art is integrated with an “art landscape” extending from Legacy Plaza to Riverside, a major festival space connecting the Oval to the water. 

Hollybridge Vehicular Bridge by Buster Simpson  
The Richmond Hollybridge Canal Bridge – a vehicular bridge that crosses Hollybridge Canal at High Street, near the Oval’s southeast entrance – is the first public art project visitors encounter as they enter the Oval site. Artist Buster Simpson collaborated with landscape architect Christopher Phillips to integrate art elements into the bridge’s design to create a kinesthetic threshold crossing experience and a processional civic entry to the Oval.

• On each side of the short four-lane bridge stand four light poles with glass blades that resemble a series of speed-skating blades positioned at the starting line.

• By day, the glass blades mirror the adjacent landscape as well as reflect and diffract ambient light. At night, efficient LED lighting transforms the blades into an illuminated vector and beacon.

• Skate marks in the concrete walkway below also playfully commemorate the speed-skating competition for which the Oval was created.

• Contemporary handrails in stainless steel and high-density polyethylene on both sides of the bridge complement the blade art pieces.

• Handrails invite visitors to lean and view the “bioditch” in the canal below.

Integrated Landscape Design
The integrated landscape design for the Oval site envisions an outdoor environment that complements the diverse recreational opportunities, cultural experiences, and other public amenities offered inside the Oval. The landscape design encompasses three main, interconnected public spaces.

• Legacy Plaza welcomes and accommodates crowds arriving and leaving the Oval. It is designed to accommodate small gatherings and future public art.

• Waterworks consists of a large pond that detains stormwater, improves water quality, and may provide water for site use. The pond also provides a major public urban space and attraction.

• Riverside is a major festival space capable of hosting up to 8,000 people. It includes plaza and lawn space, amphitheatre seating, and steps toward the Middle Arm Dyke Trail and the Fraser River.

The three major spaces are connected by plazas, accessible pathways, and stairs to form a route called The Stroll that encircles the Oval. Furnishings are provided throughout the site for resting, viewing, and gathering.

Landscape design and public artwork are being constructed in concert with the Oval, which opened in fall 2008 as a speed-skating training facility and community resource.