Patricia Johanson - "Pawnee Drainage Median"

Detail of "Pawnee Drainage Median": trail, seating and Pawnee earth lodge within Buckeye Butterfly

"(Johanson's) designs for a series of nondescript highway drainage medians 60-feet wide by 600-feet long imply a new vision for the country's roads. With historical information, habitat components and public access, the project develops a complex narrative line that unfolds for park users and passing motorists. 'I was attracted to Salina because the landscape is so typical. It's basically a commercial strip', Johanson says. ...people and animals can use this space as part of a continuous trail through the city. Sequential landscapes and built structures tell the story of Salina during various epochs, while also providing park features including seating, shelter, fountains and overlooks. Johanson reflects, 'Because it was a highway, because it was long and linear, I knew I was going to have to do something that would develop in physical time and space.'"