A garden in the sky

Jennifer Kho

COSTA MESA -- With a rain of confetti, a flock of circling doves and

dramatic brass band fanfare, the Bridge of Gardens was formally

introduced to a VIP crowd at South Coast Plaza on Thursday.

“That was beautiful,” said Alice Bruesehoff, who attended the grand

opening. “It was a great experience and I was just amazed. I enjoyed

every minute of it.”

In addition to the dedication ceremony held under overcast skies,

grand opening events included “A Taste of South Coast Plaza,” which

offered samples from about 25 restaurants, a Wolfgang Puck cooking

demonstration and performances by several bands.

But the star of the show was the great, gray bridge over Bear Street.

The Bridge of Gardens -- a 600-foot-long, open-air pedestrian walkway

with rows of steel “wings” projecting from each side to support clusters

of fast-growing bougainvillea plants -- was designed to be a garden in

the sky.

Landscape designer Kathryn Gustafson, who conceptualized the

architectural artwork, attempted to capture the image of a bird in

flight, said Henry Segerstrom, managing partner of C.J. Segerstrom &

Sons.

As Segerstrom addressed the crowd, joking with his wife and

introducing Gustafson, he smiled continuously -- except at the very end,

when the explosive fanfare was a few seconds past cue.

But the drums came to life, the doves were released and the confetti

came raining down.

“The weather report didn’t forecast this,” said a smiling Segerstrom.

Walking across the bridge for the first time, shoppers were quick to

marvel over the design.

“It’s beautiful,” said Patty O’Leary, a Newport Beach resident. “I’ve

never seen anything like this before.”

Tara Moroses, of Dana Point, said she liked the “modern minimalist

approach” in the design of the bridge, but was disappointed that there

weren’t more flowers.

Those flowers will grow in time, bridge architects said.

Steve Pearce, a Fountain Valley resident, said the plants and the

bridge’s design drew his eye away from the nearby parking lot and the

street three stories below.

“It seems less like you’re up there because of the view you get,” he

said.

The bridge was not constructed entirely for its aesthetic value,

however.

South Coast Plaza officials expect it to increase business because

shoppers are no longer required to park twice or risk a mad dash across

the street to browse and buy at the Macy’s Home store, Crate & Barrel, or

other shops in the western wing of the center.

Now that it’s open, the bridge has paved the way for a whirlwind of

expansion at the shopping center. More than 40 new stores are scheduled

to open this year.

California Pizza Kitchen is one of the businesses that will benefit

from the expansion. The restaurant is ready to open next month, right at

the end of the bridge.

“We have the perfect location,” said Fred Wolfe, senior vice president

of operations at the restaurant. “We have wanted to be in South Coast

Plaza for some time, but this is the first opportunity we’ve had. We’re

thrilled.”