‘Circus’ Sculpture Site Design

Mid-America Center, Council Bluffs, Iowa

The whimsical ‘Circus’ sculpture built from welded aluminum plate and designed by artist William King had already been sited when Chroma Design was asked to improve its relationship to the site. The sculpture depicts two acrobatic performers in ‘perfect balance’ and so the semblance of a Circus Performance Ring was chosen as the iconic metaphor for the site design. The ring was constructed with custom precast concrete radial edge pieces to create a distinctive ring in the landscape. Brick pavers and low evergreen plantings were added to finish off the foreground and tall evergreens were placed behind the sculpture to form a dramatic backdrop. In-grade lighting dramatically presents the silhouette of the sculpture at night.