Briefly in the news

Jenn Kho

The Bridge of Gardens and The Garden Terrace each won a design award

from the American Institute of Architects, California Council, South

Coast Plaza representatives announced this week.

“The jury was quite taken with the bridge and thought it was

beautifully conceived and detailed,” said Steven Oliver, one of four jury

members who selected the bridge for the award.

The pedestrian bridge opened in September to connect the main part of

the shopping center with stores across Bear Street, including Crate &

Barrel and Macy’s Home store.

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.

When the bridge opened, Henry Segerstrom, managing partner of C.J.

Segerstrom & Sons, said that landscape designer Kathryn Gustafson, who

conceptualized the architectural artwork, attempted to capture the image

of a bird in flight.

City Councilwoman Linda Dixon said art like The Bridge of Gardens

helps make Costa Mesa unique.

“I think this award is additional recognition of the fine public art

that is unique to the city of Costa Mesa,” she said. “Art, whether visual

or performing arts, provokes untouched thoughts and emotions in people

and often can be soothing, inspiring and beneficial to one’s life. Art

allows people to dream, think and imagine, and I think we’re lucky to

have a famous architect like Kathryn Gustafson create something as

beautiful as The Bridge of Gardens in Costa Mesa.”