City
Builds New Home
The City Hall building was dedicated on Flag Day, June 14, 2001,
after almost two years of planning, design, and construction.
The task force, comprised
of residents and elected and appointed officials, provided direction
for the building’s design.
The building reflects
community characteristics and values considered important by the
task force. City Hall is a strong visual element from County Road
E that is stately, dignified, welcoming, timeless, and beautiful.
A task force priority,
the building’s materials complement the natural habitat of
Vadnais Heights, from the exterior’s limestone block and
copper-like roof to the interior’s vaulted ceiling and wooden
beams.
The 13,640 square foot
City Hall cost about $3.3 million dollars to plan, construct,
and furnish. The building was paid for through existing funds,
dollars that had been saved for 30 years for such a purpose. No
bonding or new taxes were necessary. In fact, not having to bond
for City Hall saved the City and its taxpayers about $2 million
dollars in interest.
Architect David Kroos,
of Boarman Kroos Vogel Group, Inc., Minneapolis, designed City
Hall. The general contractor was Lund Martin Construction, Inc. Back to top
Public Art Enlivens City Hall
The beauty of Vadnais Heights’ lakes, ponds, and woods was
the inspiration for integrating public art into the City Hall
building. Each facet of the effort was guided by the Public Art
Task Force, comprised of residents, artists, and government leaders,
and approved by the City Council.
The art was created by
three groups of artists, each of whom was recommended to the City
Council by the Public Art Task Force. Interestingly, all of the
artists were from the northeast metro area.
Stunning Leaded Glass Window
Reflects Lakes and Woods
Stillwater artist Michaela Mahady’s overall approach to incorporate
glasswork within the City Hall building combines a large central
piece and a small “fragment” piece that introduces and
gives a hint of the larger piece.
The central piece is located
in the barrel-vaulted lobby window, which looks to the wetland
south of the building. The introductory panels are located in
the window wall and transom units at the building’s entry.
Expanding across 250 square
feet and weighing 1,000 pounds, the south-facing window is a frame
of translucent and transparent glasses surrounded by clear areas,
open to the view of the wetland beyond. The window is made of
hand blown clear and textured glasses in various hues of blue,
green, purple, gray, and brown. It incorporates strips of beveled
clear plate glass, which in direct light, projects rainbows of
color into the lobby.
Simply stunning, the window
alludes to the sweeping, expansive nature of the wetland site,
the crystalline purity of the two bodies of water comprising Vadnais
Lake, and the wild, unspoiled beauty of the landscape and treeline
around the lake. Back to top
Granite Mosaic Makes Beautiful
First Impression
The sculptural planter/seating furniture situated in front of
City Hall and the granite mosaic reception desk and pillar bases
were created by artists Connie Meyeron and Fuller Cowles, St.
Croix Valley. Their project’s theme reflects the relationship
of Lake Vadnais and area wetlands.
The artists’ goal
was to bring the idea of the outside to the inside, and visa versa.
The stone work is reflective, as is the shimmering quality of
water. It is soft and organic in feeling, and integrates with
the building’s formal architecture.
What some find particularly
intriguing is how, during evening hours, the exterior piece sparkles
with the reflection of surrounding lights.
Impressionist Silk Art Graces
Lobby
Tim Harding, Stillwater, created the masterful 6' x 9.5' silk
artwork displayed behind City Hall’s reception desk. Much
like an Impressionist painting, the art shows the rippling surface
of a pond with the reflections of the adjacent tree canopy, sky,
clouds, and cattails. The imagery is somewhat abstracted by the
rippled surface, and was created using the unique, complex reverse
applique technique for which Harding is known.
Increasing the representational
quality of the image, there are a number of leaves floating on
the water that are also reflected, and clumps of cattails on the
far side of the pond, with their reflections extending downward.
Harding used 40 different
colors of fine, hand woven Indian dupioni shantung silk, sewed
them together, and cut through to specific colors to create the
image.
Funding for the art projects
came largely from private donations. If you would like to donate
to the Public Art Project, please email Jeanne Vogt , or call 651-204-6020.
Inscribe a Paver for Your Family
A way to help fund public art in Vadnais Heights is to purchase a paver for you or your family’s personal inscription. The paver will be installed in City Hall’s south plaza. Your paver purchase is a tax deductible gift.
Pavers are available in two sizes: • 12" x 12" paver - four lines of text
• 6" x 12" paver - two lines of text
Office Hours City Hall is located at 800 East County Road E, just a few blocks west of I-35E and County Road E.
Regular business hours are 8:00 am to 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. City offices are closed in observance of these holidays:
• New Years Day
• Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
• Presidents’ Day
• Memorial Day
• Independence Day
• Labor Day
• Veterans’ Day
• Thanksgiving Day
• Day after Thanksgiving
• Christmas Eve Day
• Christmas Day
City
Builds New Home
Impressionist Silk Art Graces
Lobby
Inscribe a Paver for Your Family
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