The East Village block at Park and Market streets integrates a 34-story residential tower, a USCD downtown campus, an historic building, retail and a public plaza. A clear narrative provided a unifying through-line encouraging a more rich user-experience for the block. Based on the significance of UCSD arriving in the urban center, improved neighborhood connectedness of the trolley Blueline and a long history of regional innovation, the interplay of art and science became the broad premise that informed decisions on interior design, landscape, public and interior art and sculpture and plaza programming.
Each of the 34 floors of the tower open to backlit artwork built from collaged UCSD life-science imagery. An interior lobby rock-sculpture installation is based on the murmuration movements of nature. The SD Commission for Arts and Culture project commissions include the wonder of art and science as a starting point for the many contributions of regional artist/artisans/makers. The Park and Market public plaza programming is guided by the premise of shared wonder in both the arts and sciences, including children’s, cross-border, community, university and regional celebrations of culture in this newly activated Park and Market urban block. The project premise and thematic execution was directed and managed by Miriello Grafico.