Word Bridge

In its current configuration, Mellon’s garden is a patchwork of what were previously individual backyards of varied elevations. To connect the different levels, Michael Van Valkenburgh Associates designed a “bridge,” which also became a way to incorporate a poetic element in the garden’s design—language.

Mellon Foundation staff were invited to submit words that had special meaning or power to them for inclusion in the bridge. Words selected by Mellon staff were chosen to be carved into Endicott manganese iron-spot bricks, a material that both complements and contrasts with the organic aspects of the garden.