Water Pylons is a painted and lighted artistic enhancement for the New Jersey Avenue, SE underpass in Washington, DC. Together, RKW and the Architectural design team REFORM explored a two part concept for the underpass and are currently implementing this portion of the plan. The Water Pylons concept will transform the underpass environment into a modern representation of water that creates a gateway to the Capitol Riverfront community. The freeway support columns are painted varying shades of blue to abstractly reference the neighborhood’s waterfront. The bright, reflective blue paints will create a cleaner, brighter, and more visually appealing underpass environment that is distinct and surprising. In addition LED overhead will add illumination and reflections of the art, especially after dark.
This project is being funded in part by the Capitol Riverfront Business Improvement District along with a matching public arts grant from the D.C. Commission on the Arts and Humanities.
