Reach

Edmonds Community College, WA
(2008)

Engineered, fabricated, and installed metalwork for a public art project designed by Lorna Jordan, on the campus of Edmonds Community College. The rolled aluminum pipe support structure for the sculpture is 100' long by 90' wide by 11' high, anchored to concrete footings. The sculpture and bench are skinned with Alaskan yellow cedar. The woodwork was installed by Krekow Jennings Inc.

Located within the heart of a community college campus, Reach is a gathering place that embodies movement. A cedar and aluminum pavilion rises up from the ground, lifting and twisting to create an arched passageway. Wood boards are spaced to cast shadows that shift throughout the day. A pathway and undulating swaths of plantings echo the sculpture’s dynamic form and a bench provides a place to sit. Inspired by the desire to stretch one’s knowledge, the artwork envelops and arches over people—shifting and changing as they move through it.

Dominated by concrete buildings, the 52-acre community college lacked significant outdoor gathering spaces. The college requested an artwork that would provide a heart for the campus. Reach provides a place for people to gather, reflect, teach, learn, study, and stage events. The plantings and pathways were designed by Lorna Jordan and installed by college staff and students.

Project Team

• Lorna Jordan, project artist
• Krekow Jennings Inc., contractor
• 12th Avenue Iron, fabrication