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PHOTO FINISH

By Debbie AndersonAugust 26, 2021No Comments

Drift Away

By Meda Kessler

While, typically, we like our Photo Finish to be a single shot, this one was a challenge. Portland artist/architect Volkan Alkanoglu’s site-specific, ADA-compliant pedestrian bridge deserves a few images. As part of the Fort Worth Public Art program, Drift, located on Westcreek Drive, connects walkers, runners and cyclists in the South Hills neighborhood to the Trinity Trails. Alkanoglu was inspired by the natural formations in the rocky creek bed below. And, yes, it resembles a boat — it’s 58 feet long and 12 feet wide — and was constructed in the same manner with a steel skeleton sheathed in sanded Spanish cedar, still wonderfully aromatic on a mid-August visit. We were happy to discover the built-in benches — undulating wood offers a perfect perch to take in a cool breeze. Alkanoglu collaborated with fabricator Ignition Arts and Brownsmith Studios (both based in Indiana) on the design development and project management, and Drift was installed in late June. While the culvert typically is dry, crossing over from one path to the other is now much more inviting.