The Sidewalk's Potential

Rio de Janeiro's broad sidewalks, with their wavy black and white lines, are famous for the visual life and zest they add to the city. Many European streets have the texture of roughhewn stone and are decorated as well. By contrast, sidewalks in the U.S. are merely straight and narrow paths of relative safety. Yet they can be more, as New Yorkers learned last week when "the Calder Sidewalk" suddenly appeared.

It was carefully planned. Last February three building owners on upper Madison Avenue realized that their sidewalk was crumbling and had to be replaced. Since all three buildings housed art galleries, one owner suggested that the new sidewalk "ought to be interesting." His neighbor, Art Dealer Klaus Perls, replied: "Maybe I can persuade Alexander Calder to design it for us." The celebrated sculptor was delighted. "We will do Rio one better," he said, and charged no fee for his services. By May, Calder's sketch of a series of vivid geometrical shapes (including his initials) was translated into engineering drawings. Then one night recently, workmen set the design in black and white terrazzo.

Because of its shortness (75 ft. by 15 ft.), the sidewalk serves more as a sophisticated billboard for the three art galleries than as an important piece of urban design for New York. Even so, it calls attention to the visual importance of the pavement underfoot, and sets one example of how to make American cities more interesting for the overly neglected pedestrian.

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