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Rock Cut Sculpting and Skywalk on the Wyoming Valley and Percussion Rock Valley Scenic Points. |
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STH 23 is a scenic route between Springreen and Dodgeville, Wisconsin, with its colorful rural landscapes, interesting landforms, rock formations, and most significantly, Frank Lloyd Wright?s Prairie School and legendary house of Taliesin.
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The Sanborn Group Landscape Architects, Inc. for whom I worked collaborated with Frank Lloyd Wright?s School of Architecture on this project. We were hired to design the immediate environment of the skywalk joining two scenic points, as well as the landscaping along the underlying highway. The challenge was to provide a foundation for the skywalk while cutting back the 30 feet high rock surfaces on both sides of the highway to the Department of Transportation (DOT) ?safe zone? standards.
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 I started the process by considering this design challenge versus geometry. I explored the geometry on a two-dimensional basis where I decided to establish my base on the phenomenal Golden Ratio. |
 In the next step I studied the volume with a paper sculpture adding a third dimension. I came up with a very strong and flexible structure that I could adapt to different angles. This enabled me to further explore the potentials of the form. |
| I carried the same design principle towards the cement foundation of the bridge which was designed by the Taliesin Architects. Circles sized according to the Golden Ratio have been chiseled in the rock and engraved in the cement to accentuate a visual unity. The terraces will encourage the natural invasion of pioneer vegetation by collecting the crumbling organic material, seeds and water on their surfaces. |
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