A look at Madison Valley’s art-covered stormwater tank: Hydro-Bio-Geo

Photos by artist Adam Kuby

Photos by artist Adam Kuby

A 14-foot-tall stormwater tank near the Washington Park Playfield could have been a pretty grim presence in Madison Valley. But the city got Portland-based artist Adam Kuby to turn the face of the tank into a work of art.

Hydro-Bio-Geo Washington Park, Seattle, WA 2012 Photographed by Adam KubyThe Madison Valley Stormwater Project celebrated its completion this week. More details on Hydro-Bio-Geo, from the Office of Arts & Culture:

A companion piece to his multi-part artwork Incrementally at a nearby stormwater detention facility, Kuby designed Hydro-Bio-Geo to be compatible with the character of Washington Park. The artwork animates the exposed facade of the 14-foot-tall stormwater holding tank. Three pairs of downspouts and weep holes send water down the wall to a rain garden below. These wet zones will soon become lush and green as they become colonized with moss and ferns. In between, faux-bark facades lead to 29 cavity nesting birdhouses embedded in the wall. As the landscape matures, the bird houses will become more attractive nest sites.

Kuby has created permanently sited artworks in the Northwest and Canada and has exhibited his artworks throughout the country. His artworks are collaborations with the built and natural world that aim to foster a sense of connectedness in our environment.  Each project provides an opportunity to explore how human activity and natural systems can better coexist and how art can promote a deeper sense of place.

The artwork is funded with SPU 1% for Art funds and addresses SPU’s stewardship of water collection and drainage.

2 thoughts on “A look at Madison Valley’s art-covered stormwater tank: Hydro-Bio-Geo

  1. Thank you. We need more great projects that make if fun to be outside and learn.

    • Except for the collateral damage/complete rape of the hillside above and to the sides of this structure including the removal of what was once a lush forest and replacing it with a giant hole. Said to fill in with tress in 13-20 years (the promised mature tree planting didn’t happen).