Montebello / 19th Ave

Robert Adams / Phoenix, AZ

A terminus stations on the METRO light rail starter line, the 19th Avenue and Montebello station is one of the tallest. Its high profile was designed to provide shade during the sometimes blistering morning and late afternoon hours. The artwork, 76 dichromatic panels hung across the top of the station columns, compliments this silhouette.
 
Phoenix-based artist Bob Adams served as the design team artist for this first section of the light rail project. Teamed with architects who shared his sleek, modernist aesthetic he worked to create a clean but dynamic design for this changing neighborhood.

Extending the entire length of the station, the panels are perforated in various sizes and placed directly across from each other to create a moiré effect. This, combined with the metallic purple/green dichromatic paint creates a constantly shifting pattern that is set into motion by the movement of both train and traffic. The art acts as a shifting reflection of the passage of time and motion, a visual refraction of the light and activity around it.