Thanks to the efforts of artist Laurie Lundquist, passengers awaiting Valley Metro bus service at the southeastern corner of Main and Center streets in Mesa, AZ, near the Mesa Arts Center, can experience their trip from a new perspective. They stand underneath a canopy of shiny chrome raindrops hanging from the ceiling of the station stop, a dynamic feature that responds to the wind with movement and sound.

“The ‘Rain Shelter’ idea emerged as a playful way to relate to the desert and engage the imagination. The ‘raindrops’ themselves can sway in the breeze and reflect colors and light from their surroundings and the transit passengers using the shelter,” said Lundquist, who designed the shelter as well as the hanging installation.

Lundquist’s aim was to make the shelter fit within the context of the arts center without copying it. The twisted frames of the roof reflect the center’s twisted canopies. The supports that hold up the canopy are abstract tree forms to signify that a tree is one of the Earth’s most natural bus stops.

Also, Valley Metro introduced a special design for another 25 new bus stops, located at least every mile along both sides of Main Street and Power Road. These structures incorporate fiberglass louvers that allow access to the breezes in the summer and provide warmth from the winter sun. A band of light at the top of the station helps identify the shelter at night, and lights in the sidewalk show the driver and passengers where the bus doors will be located to assist with nighttime boarding.

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