Sculptural Trellis Public Art for Porsche Dealership to Be Reviewed By City’s Arts and Culture Commission

Pasadena’s Arts and Culture Commission will review a proposed public art concept featuring a large-scale aluminum sculptural trellis for the new Rusnak Porsche dealership during its regular meeting on Wednesday.

The commission will consider approval of both the proposed artist, Jason Pilarski, and the artwork concept titled “In Motion” for the 2915 E. Colorado Blvd. development project.

A report from the Department of Planning and Community Development said the proposed artwork would measure approximately 118 feet wide and 14 feet tall, constructed from laser-cut aluminum panels riveted to an aluminum frame. The structure would be installed at the northeast corner of the development along East Colorado Boulevard.

According to the report, the artwork is inspired by Porsche’s automotive design style and principles of biomimicry, creating “an open framework trellis design, with sweeping arches and streamlined pillars.”

“The art is based on the principles of biomimicry, a practice that learns from strategies found in nature to solve design challenges,” Pilarski said in the proposal.

The artwork is part of the development’s public art requirement, which allocates 1% of the $25 million building permit valuation, or $250,000, toward public art. Of that amount, $200,000 would fund the on-site artwork while $50,000 would go to the city’s public art fee.

Pilarski, a Los Angeles-based artist and faculty member at ArtCenter College of Design, was selected through a partnership between Rusnak and ArtCenter. The college organized a three-day design workshop in June 2023 where students developed concepts responding to the site and Porsche’s design language.

The Porsche project involves construction of a two-story, 61,370-square-foot auto dealership with frontage along Colorado Boulevard, Sunnyslope Avenue and Walnut Street. The development includes retaining and reusing the existing 12,728-square-foot Swanson and Peterson Furniture Manufacturing building.

The Planning Department recommends approval of both the artist and the concept, noting that the artwork “has the capacity to provide an engaging experience for residents and visitors, with a visually striking aesthetic that would complement the building’s design.”

The Arts and Culture Commission meeting will be held Wednesday, starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Hearing Room at 175 North Garfield Ave.