IL7/Square

1999 Botantic Garden Franklin Avenue (S, 2, 3, 4, 5) New York City Transit

At the Botanic Garden station, community representatives, the station architectural team, and artist Millie Burns created a sensitive visual transition from street to mini-park surrounding the entrance and finally into the transit facility itself. This is achieved by fences and railing designs. The tall and wavy metal constructions echo both the trees and stately apartment buildings lining Eastern Parkway and harmonize with the modern lines of the station house. Most importantly, they lead the way into the station and provide aesthetic uplift for transit users. "The communities that border Eastern Parkway and the Botanic Garden are blessed with a rich natural bounty," Burns says. "We are surrounded by trees, shrubs, plants, and vines. The fences and railing designs are drawn from what I see in this neighborhood. ‘IL7/Square’ is about growth, a reaching toward the sun."