Kirkland celebrates the Columbia River, sacred to Native Americans and the major route for the Lewis and Clark expedition, in this 200-foot-long installation along a concourse of the Portland International Airport, which was designed by Zimmer Gunsul Frasca. A bronze map of the river and its main tributaries is inlaid into the terrazzo floor. Five painted steel wind columns are topped with motorized rotating wind vanes of gilded aluminum that depict cultural, historical, and natural symbols of the Columbia. The base of each wind vane is a granite buoy engraved with facts about the river, lists of indigenous plants, and other information. Along the installation, stone benches and tables carved as bridges, barges, and fish encourage the use of the space as an interactive environment.
