Bird City is a visionary public art proposal: a miniature city, built at 1:50 scale, designed as a sanctuary for indigenous birds. The full installation will span a one-acre island, where a 50-story building will stand approximately 12 feet tall. Constructed without cages or enclosures, the city invites local bird species to occupy and animate the architectural spaces freely.
A prototype of Bird City, representing six city blocks at full scale and housing ten live pigeons, was exhibited at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts during the 20th Anniversary of the MAEP program. This early version helped earn the prestigious Bush Foundation Fellowship, laying the groundwork for the larger vision.
The completed city will be built over the course of three years:
- Year One: A summer-long workshop will construct the first phases of Bird City, reflecting architectural styles from ancient history through the 19th century.
- Year Two: The project will expand and evolve to include 20th- and 21st-century forms, incorporating modern and contemporary design strategies.
- Year Three: The future of Bird City will be imagined through an international architectural invitational. Twelve visionary architects will each design and construct one building, pushing the city into speculative, forward-thinking forms.
Throughout this process, teams of artists and student interns from across the country will collaborate to build not only a city for birds, but a symbol of cohabitation, imagination, and ecological care.
