Ironworks Plaza Skating Rink & Sculpture Plaza

Mishawaka, IN

The city of Mishawaka took an underutilized industrial area and transformed it into a multi-seasonal public amenity.

Five animated luminous sculptures by artist James Brenner serve as focal points for a ribbon path used as a garden walkway in warmer months and skating rink in colder seasons.

An interactive fog garden is anchored by a sculpture with a multiple timeline lighting controller, programmed to coordinate the dynamic lighting and pacing of the sculpture, fog, rink and façade.

The luminous presence of the sculptures varies during the day, dusk, and night with QR codes that allow users to interact with the fog animation. The interface also allows light sources to animate with music.

In addition to internal DMX addressable pixel-controlled lighting within the sculptures, ground mounted uplights add an external glow to complement the appearance of the art.