Almost everyone arrives to the museum by private car. The parking lot is the place where visitors leave their private space behind and first encounter the space of the museum. It is the definitive moment of arrival which also happens to be the most common, generic, and placeless landscape that we experience, both on these particular grounds, and in our cities in general. Living Lots selectively reclaims spaces reserved for cars throughout the parking lot and replaces them with a series of alternative functions appropriate for that particular standard unit of land - approximately 8’-6” x 18’. These may include places to strategically welcome people, animals, and plants, such as...
- weed garden
- herb garden
- vegetable garden
- mini fruit orchard
- berry rambles
- compost pit
- chicken coop
- wildlife habitat
- fish and turtle pond
- bee and butterfly gardens and feeders
- apiary
- brush cover for small native mammals
- picnic area/table
- canopy/gazebo
- stage
- kiln pit for pottery
- bicycle repair shop
A ground floor gallery space will be used as the project headquarters and lounge, where information about the project series is presented. This might include process photos, a reading library, videos, descriptive text, and local resources to guide visitors in creating their own versions of the projects. A printed brochure/poster for the project will provide an overview.