Seaholm to have lighted, colorful wall

AUSTIN (KXAN) - People driving past the old Seaholm Power Plant in Downtown Austin will soon see the most expensive piece of public art the city has ever purchased.

Set for construction next year and completion in 2014, the 1,000-foot-long wall art will enclose an electrical substation, costing the city $750,000.

Austin Energy – which has recently said it now faces a $77 million deficit – will pay for most of the artwork project, while the city’s Art in Public Places program will pay for the rest.

The project is part of the redevelopment of the decommissioned Seaholm Power Plant and Green Water Treatment Plant. The site will also include a new central library, hotels, condominiums and apartments.

The selected architect, Boston-based Nader Tehrani – the head of the architecture program at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology -- said the wall will be made of concrete, metal and wood. The top of the wall will look like a wave, rising and falling between 12 and 25 feet.

In addition to the colored lights in the evening, some local groups have requested the wall have interactive elements, especially for children.

Austin Energy says the project is not just about looks, but mostly safety.

"This is a high voltage substation and our substations operate well but things can happen and you can have equipment malfunction, so whatever occurs it will be completely enclosed which is absolutely what you need in a situation like this where you are going to have pedestrians shops and a lot of activity," said Austin Energy spokesman Ed Clark.

People who live and work nearby welcome the wall.

"Where I live I'd rather it look nice since I'm working to work everyday but if it's also going to be used for safety purposes then by all means," said resident Jason Khawaja.

In a Austin where construction never stops, city leaders say this unique project will have passers by stopping. 

"This wall is not just an ordinary construction project. It's an extra layer of interactive experiences for people who are going to experience life in that district," said Art in Public Places Acting Administrator Meghan Turner.