IMU garden receives facelift

While artist William Snapp's sculpture is no longer in the center of the Indiana Memorial Union courtyard, it is still the focal point of the area. \nUniversity Landscape Architect Dave Smith, who redesigned the area, said Snapp's statue is noticed more easily now because the area itself has opened up and the eye wanders to the statue. The sculpture, titled "SOUL," is now on the west side of the area, to one's right when walking out of the IMU doors into the courtyard.\n"It stands out a lot more; your eye picks it up," he said.\nIn the old courtyard design, green bushes and limestone benches created a small circle in the center of the area.\n"I think a lot more people are using it (now); more students are starting to use it during the day," Smith said.\nAlso, the courtyard used to be filled with gravel, which made it hard for people to walk through in inclement weather, said Thom Simmons, IMU associate director.\nDesigners leveled the area, removed the bushes that created the circle and moved the sculpture. \nThe limestone benches are still there, but the gravel has been cleared out and replaced by gray concrete stones, each stamped with a pattern. Designers did this to simulate the blue flagstone pavement found in other areas of campus, including the Ballantine Hall courtyard, Smith said.\nThey raised the area up to be at the same level as the doors -- before, people had to step down into the courtyard. They also added a path on the south side of the courtyard that continues to the road behind the IMU.\nThe new design gives the area a more open feel and makes it more conducive for events such as weddings and receptions, he said. There has already been one wedding ceremony in the garden, Simmons said.\n"It has an atmosphere of entertainment," Snapp said of the area. "It will just bring so many people together. It has a wonderful feeling of friendship."\nThe plants in the courtyard were transplanted from Winston Shindell's home garden in honor of his wife Liz, who passed away a few years ago. Winston Shindell is the Indiana Memorial Union executive director. \nThe area also has new lighting and exterior electrical outlets, Smith said.\nIMU officials had planned to redesign the area for five to six years, and in the summer of 2001 they decided to use money from their operations budget to go ahead with the project, which cost about $150,000. The project was completely finished this August.\nOn Tuesday, the new design won the 2003 Concrete Achievement Award from the Indiana Ready Mixed Concrete Association. \n-- Contact general assignments editor Emily Hendricks at emlhendr@indiana.edu.