Yeah, the landscape design leaves something to be desired.
I wonder just how much thought was put into it. (Or is it a thinly veiled statement by the artist – similar to
Michelangelo’s ‘moon’ for the Pope who didn’t like what he was painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel?)
What about special events, like Canada Day? The Main Stage is usually set up in the area directly in front of the Peace Tower. I presume that the stage will go on the upper level, but that will block off any access for other vehicles. Also, given that there needs to an area reserved in front of the stage for technical reasons, how will this effect access to the Visitor’s Entrance? If the stage is placed on the lower level, it will need to leave enough space behind it for access to the Visitor’s Entrance. With the stage placed so far out into the lawn, the crowd space will be much smaller.
Also, those ‘Ball Gardens’ interfere with the desire lines of people walking to the doors. I don’t know why landscape designers don’t get it. People like to travel in the straightest route they can. Designers need to stop trying to make people walk much greater distances because the designer things it looks more artistic. I predict that there will soon be a worn path beside the central stairs down to the doors.
I get that, artistically, it might seem better to have the entrance centered on the Peace Tower, but I think that the old idea of having the Visitor’s Entrance off to the west – leaving the lawn undisturbed – was a better idea, logistically.
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