Gipson Play Plaza, more playful with catenary
Walking in Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh means walking through a very layered history. The grounds have been home to Indigenous communities, a plantation and, beginning in the mid-1800s, North Carolina’s first psychiatric hospital, championed by Dorothea Dix.
After the hospital closed in the early 2000s, the City of Raleigh began planning to transform the 308-acre campus into a world-class public park to advance wellness, recreation, arts and civic life.
Guided by a comprehensive plan shaped by extensive public input, phase one began, and ground was broken to create the Gipson Play Plaza in 2022. The new plaza’s evening experience relies, in part, on catenary lighting, which suspends light fixtures from cables strung between poles to create even illumination with fewer poles, cleaner sightlines and flexible layouts that respect the landscape and enhance safety.
Working through its agent, MB Widerman & Associates, Valmont’s role in the renovation focused on the structural side of that system. The team engineered and fabricated custom steel poles to carry the catenary cables, match exact spans and accommodate the lights without compromising the park’s aesthetic appeal.
Hardware and mounting details were tailored for state-of-the-art Selux Aya lights, which adjust lighting throughout the day and across the seasons to minimize light spill and energy use. By pairing precision engineering with reliable delivery, Valmont helped translate design intent into a durable lighting solution that conserves resources and improves life.
The Gipson Play Plaza opened in June 2025 and welcomed over 100,000 visitors in its first two weeks. Valmont is honored to have played a part in helping Raleigh reimagine the city center, building more family memories and a sense of community for this next chapter in its history.
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