"The Campo"
water-jet porcelain tile mounted on cast concrete base in the shape of a French curve (25' x 60' x 3')
(pictured above)

One of Bochner’s original inspirations for the garden is the “campo” or the central gathering place of the medieval Italian city of Siena. He wanted to capture the way in which “the streets of Siena swing out from the campo like the arms of a starfish.” Bochner said, “I see it as an escape from the tensions and pressure of academic life…a place to think, to dream or just simply to breathe.”

At the heart of the garden sits the campo, a 25 by 60 by 3-foot, tile-covered sculptural platform based on the shape of a French curve, a tool common to artists, architects and engineers alike. Black numbers imbedded in white tiles that cover the platform are indicative of the numerical sequencing patterns of Bochner’s art.

Planting:

Bright orange pathways swing out from the center platform winding through drifting mounds of evergreen boxwoods, brightly flowered azaleas and semi-dwarf red level Japanese barberry. The designers chose these plantings for their visual qualities, hardiness and compatibility with the four seasons of western Pennsylvania. The composition of the plantings provides a counterpoint of colors and shapes that offer a different character in each of the four seasons.