Concrete bollards are integrated into every aspect of society. They were first installed on piers to help with docking boats and have developed to a point where they now exist along almost every urban street and outside most large commercial buildings as a form of protection to infrastructure and pedestrians, while in some scenarios they are even used to preserve historical areas.
Bollards are generally permanent structures and can be both stylistic and functional. Here at StreetScape, we offer you bollards that preform both those functions effectively. StreetScape offers you intentionally beautiful and useful bollards to help fulfill your practical needs whatever they may be. We offer seventeen various styles for you to choose from. StreetScape understands the art form and aesthetic preferences of our customers and appreciate the artistry of landscaping.
We believe that it is an appreciation that is shared by artists alike, and in recent times has been shown through a movement in which concrete bollards are turned into art pieces and sculptures. In this way the humble bollard has been able to influence art, politics, tourism and serve purposes that extend past simply protecting public areas but also preserve the values of communities. So, in this article, we’ll highlight not only the personalisation possible with our products, but also look to trace the artistic renaissance of concrete bollards.
StreetScape Bollards
StreetScape produces and manufactures landscaping elements that are practical while allowing for aesthetic value. We produce our products in Cape Town and supply to the whole of South Africa. We are a trusted partner for many landscaping projects and can meet your requirements for both a personalised and affordable experience. Through our many years working in the industry, we have been able to design and produce landscaping features of the highest standard. Our concrete bollards use high-grade materials that guarantee durability, quality, and longevity.
We offer a wide range of colors, styles and designs and encourage you to reach out for any quotes, questions, and design requirements you may have. We strive to best meet your expectations.
The Artistry of “Boll-Art”
One of the most politically influential concrete bollard art movements happened in Melbourne, Australia after an incident known as the Bourke Street attack. The vehicle-based attack targeted a highly occupied pedestrian street and killed six people. The state government and Victoria police issued a request in the wake of the tragedy, and more than 200 concrete bollards were installed around the city by the Melbourne Council. However, the community saw the bollards as a bleak and dystopian affair.
There was a desire to re-energize the city after this tragedy with artists like David Gray and Nina Sanadze in particular responding to this need by symbolically reinvigorating the bleak bollards into something more artistic and beautiful. In this way they hoped to promote a message against terrorism and the protection of the Melbourne community.
Bollard-y Beautiful
David Gray woke up at three in the morning to wrap the bollards in multi-coloured striped materials. He wanted to pay tribute to the lives that were intentionally lost by creating art with a subject he interpreted as ugly. Gray has extended this art project by also making “bollard-y beautiful” sequins and fluorescent fake fur covers. Holistically, Gray acknowledged the need of concrete bollards as a means to protect civilians, but also responded with an aim of hope and beauty.
This illustrates that concrete bollards are both powerful in their purpose of protection and preservation, but don’t need to be gray and dystopian in order to serve their purpose. Artists in Melbourne pride themselves on the city being vibrant and colorful, much like many cities in South Africa. At StreetScape, we value that sentiment and commit to it by making sure our concrete bollards are high-quality and intentionally made to serve their desired purposes – but can be painted, designed and beautified in a way that the community will value.
Safeguard Sculpture
Another artist that keeps the community in mind is Nina Sanadze whose first inclination was to make them more appealing. She first responded like much of the Melbourne community with fabrics and graffiti but took it a step further and turned concrete bollards into sculptures. The “playfully levitating” toy bricks can be found all over Melbourne, in highly populated and symbolic areas. She wanted to prove that bollards are a quintessential part of our society, even though installing them as terrorism prevention measures shouldn’t be something cities should have to do. She hopes that by levitating them it brings a sense of discomfort. The sculpture is thus a safeguard over the communities, but still symbolises the troubled need for protection.
However, the Melbourne community has responded positively to the political art movement. It has been viewed as a way to promote individualism and a little bit of happiness in what can be a gray and dull landscape. Concrete bollards have shown they have a powerful effect in their placement and aesthetic..
Playful Landscaping
Bollards don’t just need to be political though, they can also be playful and youthful. Purely a means of creating art for art’s sake, much like the renaissance itself. Some artists have created and painted bollards simply to make something lasting and colorful. France in particular represents this artistic ideology through their Lego inspired bollards. The urban artist Le Cyklop has spray painted the bollards on the streets of France with the branded bright yellow color. The Lego faces are one eyed and playful and serve the aim of creating an anthropomorphic installation.
Le Cyklop has created these cyclops after his name and inspired by Greek mythology. The goal is to give these street structures a soul and promote the ideas of fantasy in an otherwise mundane setting. He has taken a permanent structure along the streets and assigned it mythological symbolism, one that encourages creation, beauty and finding joy and meaning in every aspect of the world.
Bollard Inspired Projects
Besides the politics and artistic reinvention of bollards and the messages they represent, bollards can also be used to prompt connection and meaning in communities. The following projects utilise bollards in creative and symbolic projects:
The Winchester Bollard Project
The Winchester Bollard Project was started by the Color Factory in 2005. There are currently over twenty-eight hand painted concrete bollards in their collection. The project started to liven up what the Winchester Bollard Project described as bland and dreary street furniture. The hand-painted bollards are inspired, imitated and designed after some of the most influential artists of the 15th and 19th century renaissance movements – creating a new modern day renaissance in its own light.
Some of the artists who inspired these pieces include; Klimt, Picasso, Leonardo Da Vinci, Jackson Pollock and Matisse. This art project is influential as it is funded by local businesses and the Winchester City Council. The investment from the city and businesses show how valuable beautiful bollards can be, with tourists even coming to view and admire this project.
The Whitchurch Bollards Project
Another project we can highlight here is the Whitchurch Bollards Project which began in 2010. The Southeast England Development Association invested in this project to have public interaction in preserving and creating history. The public was integral to the project as designs were submitted and chosen from the community. Over 50 bollards have been painted with these chosen designs.
The bollards have been consistently redecorated with new events and community programs, with one school having a design competition. Over 300 entries were submitted by the primary school with the theme centering around the 2012 Olympics which was hosted in the UK. The use of bollards to both preserve history, but also create and acknowledge monumental individuals and events is a beautiful aspect of their purpose. The stories behind the monuments and the fact that each design is unique and created by citizens of different ages create an atmosphere of engagement within the community.
‘Post Secret’ Bollards
Jane Edden created a secret bollard project in 2009, which has been recently renovated in 2023. These bollards have a viewing lens, which shows monochrome artworks of students from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. When looking through the lens Edden shows a hidden miniature world within, one that is valued enough to be commissioned and restored. This project shows that bollards have versatility, that they can be more than just a piece of infrastructure – they can truly be art and engineered in unique and wonderful ways.
Tourist Attractions
With all these projects it is clear that bollards can bring in viewers and interest in communities and local artists. People are moved by the political and artistic symbolism bollards can create. They have been shown to have artistic characteristics along with their practical and safety considerations. They do not have to be dull and boring, and investing in them has proved to be beneficial in creating a greater sense of community, as well as effective tourist attractions.
Another great example of this is the Saffron Walden Painted Bollards. These are four artworks commissioned by the following artists with the corresponding themes: Saffron Walden Museum theme by Charlotte Pratt, Henry Winstanley theme by Charlotte Pratt, Museum Street in March by Sonia Villiers and Bridge End Garden theme by Helen Wisema. The project was inspired by the Tourist Information Centre team after a visit to the Winchester Bollard Project discussed above. The attraction of the bollards in Winchester prompted a movement to continue the beautification of bollards themselves. The success has helped local businesses by bringing people into the area and creating vibrant pieces of art.
Our Products
If you take a look at StreetScape’s products, you will see the customisation offered to you, a foundation for you to paint, graffiti or place stickers on. We make the base, and you create your own individualism. That individualism can be trusted to last with our durable products. You invest with a budget friendly business to help bring life to your own business, public spaces or streets. No matter what you are looking for, we are committed to helping you and offering a wide variety of options.
Contact Us
Get in touch with us to create the best possible manufactured elements for any protection, preservation, and artistic needs. With over seventeen different styles to choose from, and a plethora of material and paint options – we guarantee you will not be limited in your creative endeavors and desires. Let us provide the best possible personalized service, and the highest quality elements, and benefit from all our concrete bollards can do for you.