Structural Public Art Screen Wall at the 318 E. Main Street Parking Deck

The County of Durham, North Carolina invites qualified artists or artist teams to submit qualifications for the design of a structural public art screen wall to enhance the exterior of the new 318 E. Main Street Parking Deck located at 318 East Main Street, Durham, North Carolina 27701.

Candidates should have experience creating structural building components as public art elements and will work closely with the Designers of Record and the Construction Manager At Risk (CMAR) to ensure that the proposed art element properties are compatible with the overall structural design of the parking deck. The materials for the artwork screen (including miscellaneous structural frame) are assumed to be lightweight with a maximum of 20 psf to be within the overall structural design allowance. Steel embed plates will be located at 8'-0" OC at each floor level for attachment points as needed by the artwork designer. Maximum loads used for design of the main structure and embed plate are service level shear=4 K, tension=4 K and moment=3 k-ft. The screen design must comply with the requirements of the Durham Unified Development Ordinance and the existing Certificate of Appropriateness for the project.

The east-facing screen wall of the new parking deck has been identified as the location for this structural artwork. This installation will be highly visible to all pedestrians, passing traffic and visitors to downtown Durham who approach on Main Street from east of the Roxboro Road intersection. The 318 E. Main Street Parking Deck represents a significant capital project costing approximately $22,000,000. Designed by Little, the new 262,300 square foot state-of-the-art parking deck will replace existing surface parking lot and include street level retail. Affordable housing units will be constructed along the other three sides of the parking deck. Commissioned artwork should be respectful of the values and mission of Durham County and its Public Art Program. The work should be culturally responsive and make visible strides to engage with and connect to the public by activating and enhancing the facility's grounds.

Submit 5-15 images of work samples. Last date for questions: September 20, 2020 by 3:00 P.M. (EST). Proposal due date: September 29, 2020 by 5:00 P.M. (EST). Contact: [email protected].