You may know them as the Summerfest Arches or as the location where Pelham’s first “Under the Arches” Outdoor Christmas Market took place, but now the arches in downtown Fonthill are also an award-winning design feature in the Niagara Region.
Todd Barber, Principal Designer at Forestgreen Creations Inc., a local planning, design and construction firm, was honoured yesterday with a 2013 Niagara Community Design Award for leading a group of dedicated volunteers who designed, built and installed the Arches at Pelham Street and Pelham Town Square.
“The Arches concept brought together a great team that included a crafty engineer, some ambitious carpenters, a couple of concrete experts, some CNC gurus, a dedicated electrician, a relentless drafting group, a patient surveyor, machine rental experts, welders, steel suppliers, machine operators, transport services, municipal staff and a few key financial contributors,” said Todd Barber.
The regional 2013 awards focused on recognizing projects that:
• enhance the built environment
• efficiently use land
• demonstrate creativity and vision
The Town of Pelham Arches won in the Public Realm Improvement Category.
“This award highlights Pelham’s commitment to encouraging places where neighbours and friends can gather and share festive moments,” said Mayor Dave Augustyn. “We are proud to have skilled volunteers in our community, like Todd and the arches team, who are passionate about beautifying our public spaces.”
Originally inspired by the Casa Batllo in Barcelona Spain, the Arches were designed to mimic the “catenary arch” of the interior hallways—a shape that is created by suspending a chain at both ends allowing it to create a fluid elongated arch.
Built in 2012 as a temporary structure for Pelham Summerfest to offer a shaded place for eating, drinking and socializing, the Arches became a permanent fixture in downtown Fonthill following positive public feedback and Council support.
Since their creation, the Arches have been painted white and adorned with lights that can illuminate them in various colours. Just this week the arches turned green for St. Patrick’s Day on March 17th.
For additional information, please contact:
Dave Augustyn, Mayor
(905) 892-2607 ext. 317
Darren Ottaway, Chief Administrative Officer
(905) 892-2607 ext. 318
Attachments
Contact Us