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Longboat Reed Rookery + Root

Dan Corson

Bellevue City Hall

This massive bronze sculpture was cast from the roots of 13 ancient trees, and metal woven together with lighting is a nest by day and a boat by night.

Dan Corson. Root, 2009. Cast bronze and paint. Bellevue City Hall, Bellevue, WA. Photo: Spike Mafford

Around the turn of the 20th century, massive ancient cedar trees were harvested from this site by Japanese immigrant “stump farmers.” Over time, their farmland gave way to the urban growth that became the downtown core of Bellevue.

The Root, a monumental bronze sculpture in Bellevue City Hall’s main outdoor plaza, was cast in more than 250 pieces from a compilation of 13 western red cedar root systems originally harvested in the 1800s on the Olympic Peninsula. It weights over 10,500 pounds. Placed on its side to reveal the network of roots that provide support for the tree, the artwork offers a metaphor for the hidden infrastructure that supports the city, including legal and transportation systems, and water and energy utilities. The exposed roots are also meant to emphasize the importance of transparency in government and the city’s interdependent structures and functions.
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Dan Corson. Root, 2009. Cast bronze and paint. Bellevue City Hall, Bellevue, WA. Photo: Dan Corson
Dan Corson. Longboat Reed Rookery, 2008. Forged steel, stainless steel, telecommunications cable, copper, wire, fiber optic lighting, and zip ties. Bellevue City Hall, Bellevue, WA. Photo: Dan Corson
Dan Corson. Longboat Reed Rookery (detail), 2008. Forged steel, stainless steel, telecommunications cable, copper, wire, fiber optic lighting, and zip ties. Bellevue City Hall, Bellevue, WA. Photo: Dan Corson

About the Location

Bellevue City Hall

Once the site of a commercial telecommunications office space that fell fallow, Bellevue City Hall is now a world-class civic center. Located downtown at NE 4th Street and 110th Ave NE, the spacious building and public plaza features four artworks commissioned from three Pacific Northwest artists. Inspired by Bellevue’s evolution and surrounding natural beauty, the…

Read more about the art and artists at Bellevue City Hall. More >