Charleston By Design: Restoration of A City | September 26- October 18, 2015

The City of Charleston Office of Cultural Affairs will present Charleston By Design: Restoration of A City, an exhibition on urban design and public spaces in Charleston at the City Gallery at Waterfront Park on view to the public from Saturday, September 26 through Sunday, October 18, 2015. The exhibition has been conceived and prepared by the City of Charleston Department of Planning, Preservation and Sustainability Design Division, under the leadership of director Jacob A. Lindsey, ASLA, CNU-A. Both retrospective and forward looking in scope, the exhibition pairs archival photos with present-day views of various Charleston streetscapes, reflecting the evolution and changing nature of the Holy City’s urban fabric over the past half century. Additional presentations and video displays explore the interplay of architectural form, historic preservation, materials selection and project detailing as the underpinning of Charleston’s distinctive urban character.

Commenting on the exhibition, Jacob Lindsey notes, “Attempting to capture the richness and exacting specificity of Charleston’s urban design has been an inspiring challenge for us in the studio. Every feature you consider prompts an anecdote, invokes a family name, or stirs a sense of awe at the sophisticated craftsmanship and quality of design that permeates this city.” Lindsey continues, “We very much look forward to revealing something new to our gallery visitors, and equally to sparking their awareness of details that they have either previously overlooked or taken for granted.”

This exhibition will include images of streetscapes and buildings from the Charleston’s recent history sourced from the Margaretta Childs Archives at the Historic Charleston Foundation and The News & Courier. Design Division staff who were part of designing this project were Laney Tuten, Paul Mosher, Nicole Bronola, and Jacob Lindsey, ASLA, CNU-A.

About the City of Charleston Design Division

A division of the City of Charleston Department of Planning, Preservation and Sustainability, Design Division is the City’s in-house design studio, which also works to cultivate design excellence in the community and to set expectations for the city’s development. Design Division was formerly known as the Civic Design Center, which was established by Mayor Joseph P. Riley, Jr. in 2001 to elevate the dialogue on urban design for Charleston in its fourth century. The division’s broader vision is a Charleston with exceptional city life for all residents. This vision goes beyond aesthetics, and relates directly to economic development, transportation, housing, parks, recreation, and the overall future of Charleston as an equitable, happy and healthy city.