Night view
Sheltering and immersive play of light and shadow inspired by the by the geometric facets of the gold nuggets discovered in the area.
Designed as a continuation of Charlotte’s Rail Trail initiative – a linear pedestrian conduit that runs parallel to the Blue Line Light Rail. This pedestrian and cyclist bridge forms a much needed connection between Charlotte’s South End neighborhood with uptown over the busy, I-277 highway.
Project Video
Aurum: A sculptural fusion of nature, architecture, and history at Vantage South End.
Inspired by History + Nature
Evokes the South End's gold mining history through faceted designs inspired by gold nuggets.
Integration with Site
Six canopies complement the cantilevered and angular lines of the site's architecture.
Ethereal Material
Material has a metallic quality when viewed from one angle and an iridescent blue aura when viewed from another.
Functional Form
Sculpture and function converge, offering shelter and sculpted benches.
Depeña uses these crystalline qualities to create an immersive experience that feels as if you are walking within a crystal mine or looking at a macro view of a Glasswing butterfly. These ethereal responses to nature, geometry and light are a driving force for the installation.
The emission of light and casting of shadows that the tethered surfaces reflect, refract differently depending on the view and rotation. The material chosen has a metallic quality when viewed from one direction and an otherworldly, iridescent blue aura from another perspective.
Interplay with form and function where a bench becomes a curb element and the sculpture becomes a shade canopy is a complex play on Depeña’s focus on disciplinary fusion.
Depeña and landscape architects LandDesign developed a plan for the Vantage South End’s sunken courtyard. The space’s geometry and 3d massing overlaps and intertwines with itself via sculpted precast benches.
Aurum is a permanent outdoor sculpture serving as the centerpiece of Vantage South End, a mixed-use office, restaurant and retail destination and public park developed by the Spectrum Companies. Evoking themes of nature and shelter, the shade-giving sculpture includes six, 16-foot-wide aluminum composite canopies on 18-foot-high supports that complement the cantilevered and angular lines of Vantage South End’s architecture.
Aurum takes its design cues from the site and from the area’s history. Inspired by the geometric facets of the gold nuggets discovered in the 1800s in the South End’s gold district, Depeña has created an immersive experience with light and shadows cast from the sculpture’s faceted polygonal intersections.
Depeña’s ethereal responses to nature, geometry and light were the driving forces for the entire installation. This is emphasized by his choice of the material that has a metallic quality when viewed from one direction and an otherworldly, iridescent blue aura from another perspective.
In addition, Depeña and landscape architects LandDesign developed a plan for the Vantage South End’s sunken courtyard. The space’s geometry and 3d massing overlaps and intertwines with itself via sculpted precast benches. This interplay with form and function where a bench becomes a curb element and the sculpture becomes a shade canopy is a complex play on Depeña’s focus on disciplinary fusion.
Photography by Skycam Pictures and Ben Premeaux