Harborplace became a construction zone on Saturday as eight teams of architects, landscape architects and engineers competed in the City Sand sculpture contest that takes over the Inner Harbor amphitheater every year.
‘Authentic Baltimore’ was the theme of this year’s event, and each team was given several hours and a 10-foot by 10-foot box of sand to create a work of art that shows what that phrase means to them.
Entries included a giant crab, an oyster shell and a replica of Fort McHenry. In the end, tributes to a Flower Mart lemon stick and Mr. Trash Wheel won the top prizes.
The event was hosted by the Baltimore Architecture Foundation (BAF); MCB Real Estate/Harborplace; the Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore and Southway Builders, and produced in partnership with BAF and the Baltimore chapter of the American Institute of Architects.
The competitors were: BCT Design Group; Design Collective; Gensler; Hanbury; LandDesign; Mahan Rykiel; Moffatt & Nichol Engineers and Moseley.
Two teams, Moseley and Gensler, thought alike and created dueling lemon stick sculptures, with Moseley’s team making actual lemon sticks to inspire and fortify its members. Two other teams, Mahan Rykiel and Moffatt & Nichol, thought alike and created dueling depictions of Mr. Trash Wheel, the googly-eyed contraption that gobbles up floating trash where the Jones Falls empties into the Inner Harbor.
LandDesign made a Charm City charm bracelet containing symbols representing several familiar spots, including a concert hall, a stadium and the Baltimore beltway. Hanbury made a giant crab crawling perilously close to the National Aquarium.
Design Collective recreated five-sided Fort McHenry. BCT Design Group made an oyster shell, complete with a pearl in the middle. Several unassigned sand boxes were taken over by budding preteen architects and engineers, who had parents in the contest.
After the judging was complete, the People’s Choice Award and the Silver Bucket went to Mahan Rykiel’s homage to Mr. Trash Wheel. The Judges’ Choice Award and the Golden Shovel went to Moseley’s sandy version of a Flower Mart lemon stick.
The judges were: Liz Koontz, assistant deputy mayor for community and economic development in Baltimore; Nakita Reed, an architect with Quinn Evans and past president of the BAF; Turell Brooks, a community leader from Historic Sharp Leadenhall; Dan Taylor, incoming president of The Waterfront Partnership of Baltimore, and P. David Bramble, managing partner and co-founder of MCB Real Estate, the owner of Harborplace.
Additional sponsors included: Carter Lumber; 84 Lumber; C. L. McCoy Framing Company; ER&M Ecological Restoration and Management; STV and York Building Products, a Stewart Company.
Proceeds from the event directly benefit the BAF, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to encouraging the exploration of Baltimore’s architectural history and future through tours, lectures, exhibitions, research, publications and educational programs for adults and children.
MCB has plans to replace the waterfront pavilions at Pratt and Light streets with a $500 million mixed-use project containing apartments, offices, shops, restaurants and green space. While it’s finalizing its plans, the company is leasing space in the pavilions to short-term tenants and sponsoring events to draw visitors to the Inner Harbor.
“With Harborplace entering a new chapter, City Sand is a chance to consider the wide range of possibilities ahead and connect with the pros already dedicated to reimagining public spaces,” said Jarnell Swecker, MCB’s Managing Director of Marketing. “We recognize that so many Baltimoreans have wonderful memories of Harborplace and as we reimagine the property, bringing events to the amphitheater is key. Not to mention, building sand sculptures on the harbor sounds like a perfect way to kick off summer in Baltimore!”
For those who missed the event, the sand sculptures will remain in place for the next two weeks between the Harborplace pavilions.
