This past Saturday, April 13, Safdie Rabines Architects participated in the Bay to Park Paseo Celebration Walk, an opening event to celebrate our city and the creative exhibits along San Diego’s newest urban walking path. Nearly 200 people attended this community-driven project and were among the first to view several of fifteen visual art experiences being installed along this route.
At 1.7 miles long and running primarily through San Diego’s East Village, the Bay to Park Paseo is a collective effort of San Diego designers, artists, and storytellers who have shared their talents to create this new walking experience, which connects the San Diego Bay waterfront in Downtown San Diego to iconic Balboa Park.
Safdie Rabines Architects is involved in Bay to Park Paseo through the route’s flagship art installation, a large-scale Hermes Copper Butterfly to be placed atop the Harbor Drive Pedestrian Bridge. While this design is still in the works, once it is installed the butterfly will signify the beginning of the journey for the new Bay to Park Paseo – and will serve to bring awareness to this native butterfly whose populations and habitats have become threatened due to wildfire, drought, and climate change.
The installation uses a series of mesh panels tensioned between the existing cable stays to create the form of the butterfly. Within the mesh, colored tabs are fastened to allow for airflow through the mesh, creating an illusion of movement as the tabs oscillate in the onshore breeze.
Take a self-guided tour to learn about the experiences and inspiration behind the designs, and visit @baytoparkpaseo on Instagram to learn more about this project.
The Inaugural Bay to Park Paseo Walk
