Top: Lightwave bench in the F. R. Newman Arboretum at Cornell Botanic Gardens
Bottom: Katie and Kurt are founders of After Architecture, a design practice that specializes in creating a sense of place through artistic architectural design. Click here to view their amazing work.
Sit and reflect from the Lightwave bench in the F. R. Newman Arboretum
If you visit the ponds in the F. R. Newman Arboretum, you can now enjoy the scenery from Lightwave—a sculptural bench created by two Cornell graduates. As Cornell Architecture undergraduates, Katie MacDonald (’13) and Kyle Schumann (’13) received funding from the Cornell Council for the Arts in 2013 to build Lightwave, which is made up of 264 black locust posts that were milled, sanded, painted, and assembled into a grid of square timbers that undulate to create a variety of seating alcoves. The design was inspired by the constant motion of water breaking through rock, a characteristic of Cornell’s landscape positioned between two gorges.
After it was created in 2013, Lightwave was displayed in the lawn area across from Milstein Hall. In 2015, staff graphic designer Jay Potter learned that Katie and Kurt were looking for a permanent home for this stunning bench. Jay consulted staff to identify potential sites that would be appropriate for the bench. When he reached out to Kurt and Katie, they were thrilled that Lightwave would be displayed at Cornell Botanic Gardens and offered to donate it as well as deliver it from Vermont.
Installing the bench was a team effort.
The bench was stored over the winter in our Arboretum Center. Staff Landscape Designer Irene Lekstutis identified the grove of pin oak trees next to Houston Pond as the ideal location for Lightwave. Not only would the oaks protect the bench, but the mulch bed underneath did not require mowing. Irene had always felt the “space and the surrounding landscape invited people to sit and reflect.” Our construction crew, Tim Stewart and Jay Ohlsten identified a safe and non-intrusive way to secure the bench without disrupting the tree roots. Before installing, staff arborists Lee Dean and Daniel Weitoish evaluated the placement to ensure no harm to any underlying roots. Next time you visit Cornell Botanic Gardens, be sure to enjoy the landscape from the Lightwave bench.
