Sunflower towers coming to Dix Park
A renowned Raleigh artist is turning a pair of power poles at Dix Park into enormous sunflowers.
Dix Park Conservancy announced Wednesday that it is teaming up with Duke Energy and artist Thomas Sayre for the project, which will transform the poles on the east side of Dix Park on Lake Wheeler Road. Those poles will be dismantled in fall 2024 and replaced with 73-foot-tall steel sunflowers designed by Sayre.
The sunflower poles are expected to be in service by November 2024 and will serve as a frame to the future entrance for the Gipson Play Plaza, which is currently under construction.
“This inspired project exemplifies both the creativity we aspire to foster at Dix Park and the spirit of community and collaboration that makes the park possible,” says Janet Cowell, CEO of Dix Park Conservancy (DPC).
The poles will feature 47 steel petals, each with a pattern of perforations representing the mathematical expression of the electromagnetic waves that run through the power lines.
“The challenge of making something magical from the kind of infrastructure we all see and take for granted everyday instantly intrigued me,” says Sayre.
The sunflower design is a nod to the popular sunflower field that attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors each year to Dix Park.
The idea for the project came from Raleigh citizen Doug Johnston who shared the idea that existing power poles could be more than just standard utilitarian structures. The idea evolved when Dix Park Conservancy board member Tom Gipson met with retired Duke Energy executive Jeff Corbett about the project.
The $2.5 million cost of the poles will be funded via private donations, and the work will not impact Duke Energy customer bills, officials said. The conservancy has already raised a significant portion of the funds for the poles.
