In 1986, the staff at the then Vail Alpine Gardens installed a system of original railings alongside the Gardens’ stone steps. Embracing the organic forms of the mountainous environment in which the Gardens are nestled, the team used wooden staffs and footings to construct them. After nearly forty years of service, the railings at the Gardens are about to see an upgrade.
This summer at Betty Ford Alpine Gardens, the current staff is fundraising and collaborating with local craftsmen to install a new system of railings to guide the Gardens into the next century of its flourishing.
The new brass railings will honor the organic aesthetic of the gardens—invoked by the existing natural shape of the current wooden railings—while improving their safety, accessibility, and elegance. Modeled after the twining wood staffs original to the gardens, the brass railings will embrace the organic forms reflected back by the Gardens themselves, appearing, as horticulturist Amanda Goodwin has offered, as “growing railings.”
As Betty Ford Alpine Gardens embarks on its next chapter, the new railings project will improve the accessibility and safety of the stone staircases. Sturdier and longer-lasting, the brass railings will ensure that regardless of mobility, visitors will be able to enjoy the beauty of the gardens for years to come.
The architecture of the new railings will likewise align with prominent designs in Vail Village. This design will hone Betty Ford Alpine Gardens’ role as “Vail’s alpine treasure,” creating continuity between the gardens and the town, and ensuring a sense of aesthetic flow for visitors.
Works of art in-and-of-themselves, the railings will highlight the beauty to be found at the confluence of human hands and the natural world. The splendor at Betty Ford Alpine Gardens is evidence of the symbiosis that happens when these two entities—human craftsmanship and natural beauty—come together. As such, the new railings will serve as a testament to the beauty and integrity of the gardens as both a cultural and natural landmark—in the Vail Valley and in the world.
Betty Ford Alpine Gardens is currently fundraising for this renovation effort. Give today by clicking here. For more information on fundraising for the railings project and how you can support the gardens, contact director of development Melissa Ebone at melissa@bettyfordalpinegardens.org or 970-306-7616.
