Ecliptic | Rosa Parks Circle
Grand Rapids, MI | 2001 | 3.5 acres | $6 M
Ecliptic | Rosa Parks Circle, designed by Maya Lin, transformed a once-dangerous park into a lively destination in downtown Grand Rapids, Michigan. The heart of the 3½ acre site is a skating rink with 166 fiber optic lights glowing through the ice, mirroring the constellation over Grand Rapids at the start of the new millennium. Attracting 23,000 skaters during its first year, the renovated park is key piece in a comprehensive urban renewal plan that now anchors a thriving downtown. In warmer months, the rink becomes an amphitheater hosting large public events. Additional lighting for needed visibility on the rink/amphitheater and surrounding seating and steps is carefully controlled to prevent obscuring the fiber optic stars.
