Art In Transit: 33rd & Dauphin Bus Loop
April 17, 2018
The community of Strawberry Mansions thrives on buses, and specifically, the 33rd & Dauphin Bus Loop. The loop serves as the terminus and start for Routes 7, 39, and 54, as well as indirectly serving Route 32 along 33rd Street and Route 61 along Ridge Avenue; this equates to the route serving 2,115 riders daily.
In 2013, the 33rd & Dauphin Bus Loop Improvement Project was completed. The loop has significant historic value to the community, and the reconstruction worked hard to keep this legacy in-tact. The new loop incorporated the original brick and masonry that were salvaged and used to restore the building. The cherubs that long marked the façade remained, and repaired and the decorative cornice trim was repaired and repainted. All these features were important to keep, as they made this loop unique and a neighborhood cornerstone. In addition to these enhancements, the projects also made the loop fully ADA accessible, as well as safer for pedestrians and surrounding motorists with the redesign of bus lanes to optimize traffic flow and allow for an enhanced curbside customer berthing area.
One of our favorite bragging points of these renovations was the installation of a green roof, which utilizes plant modules and other materials. In addition to improving sustainability and helping to create a more livable urban environment, the green roof reduces storm-water run-off, helping to prevent water from collecting around the loop. This is also aided by a new underground storm-water management system that also enhances drainage.
But we’re here to talk about art.
In addition to all of these improvements, the reconstructed loop features a one-of-a-kind Art in Transit project , Arches of Resurgence, by British-born artist Michael Morgan. His piece features brick arches designed to inspire hope and renewal, in addition to paying homage to the natural environment of Fairmount Park.
In the span of the arch is etched a quote, "Look back at the old things and see them in a new light,” attributed to musical great and Strawberry Mansion resident, John Coltrane. He lived in the community during some of the most celebrated years of his career.
This quote is what Arches is about, honoring the past while building for the future.
Approximately 30 residents, mainly children, put their hands and feet into the bricks of Strawberry Mansion to help fabricate the [approximately] 200 bricks for Arches. The lower sections of the three-legged arch is carved like tree trunks, appearing to grow out of the ground like trees in Fairmount Park, and create a concrete connection to the earth from which they are made. The sunburst of glazed bricks in the upper section symbolizes a glowing future for Strawberry Mansion.
Michael Morgan's described Arches of Resurgence as:
In the same way that brick is familiar to all of us, so is the arch. Arches of Resurgence is the gateway to another state, whether concrete or conceptual. When we pass through it, we know that we are in another place, and that something has happened to us. Arches have a long architectural history. It is interesting to note that this element of change has always been of significance. Roman soldiers would enter their hometown through the triumphal arch and cease to be soldiers, becoming citizens again.
Art is subjective, and its meanings are different to for each person. What does Arches of Resurgence mean to you?
