The East Side is a diverse neighborhood. It is exactly 4 square miles, spanning the Milwaukee River east to Lake Michigan and north/south from Shorewood to the edge of Milwaukee’s Third Ward. This land occupies only 4% of Milwaukee County, yet one could argue that the spirit of the people and places within are representative of all of Milwaukee.

Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1889, a shared amenity of the East Side has always been Lake Park. In its initial stages, the land set aside for the park was barren of trees. Thanks in large part to retired glue manufacturer Christian Wahl, often referred to as the father of Milwaukee’s parks, there was a “greening of Lake Park,” wherein thousands of trees and shrubs were planted. In so doing, a seed of truth was planted: we can build without destroying nature. Furthermore, “there can be development without denaturing” (John Gurda, “Weaving the East Side Fabric”). I wanted to honor this part of the making of The East Side. This is our history.

Topos celebrates our place in two parts. Part One: a topographical map of Milwaukee’s East Side and Part Two: seating.

Alderman Nic Kovac, along with Randy Krouse of the City of Milwaukee’s Urban Forestry Department and Bob Wesp of Kettle Moraine Hardwoods had made a commitment to each other and our city – they would save and make available all the cut and removed trees during construction of this facility. This translated into my being able to utilize the wood from tress that were originally on site for this permanent, site-specific installation of Topos.

Presented as a 4” deep cross –section of an Elm tree, the cantilevered seat provides a place for rest, contemplation, and memorial of past and present: acknowledging both where we have come from and where we are going.