Emboss is proud to be one of the eight finalists for a public art instillation competition for the former IRS site in Covington.

The competition, coordinated by The Carnegie Visual and Performing Arts Center and The Center for Great Neighborhoods, ArtsWave, and the Carol Ann and Ralph V. Haile, Jr. Foundation, invited artists to submit proposals for a public art installation to anchor the 23-acre Covington Central Riverfront site, formerly home to the IRS processing facility. The new neighborhood will feature a restored street grid, office space, housing, retail, and public gathering spaces.

Emboss designed “Ripple.” Ripple is a landmark pavilion designed to embody the spirit of Covington—its history, its community, and its bold trajectory forward. As an architectural sculpture, it evokes the image of a single drop creating expanding ripples: a metaphor for how individual and collective actions shape a community over time. Positioned at a central point within the new Covington Central Riverfront (CCR) neighborhood, The Ripple is an open, accessible, and reflective space where visitors can gather, contemplate, and connect.

The Ripple’s form is circular, centered on the park axis and inviting movement and interaction from all sides. From the inflection point, visual and structural “ripples” expand outward, represented in the patterning of paving materials below and the rhythm of its arcing steel frame overhead. This balance of centrality and openness symbolizes inclusion, connection, and progress—values deeply embedded in Covington’s identity.

The skeleton of the pavilion is constructed from exposed steel beams with X-braced members, paying homage to a community icon, the Roebling Bridge. This latticework brings strength and visual rhythm to the structure, forming a dynamic contrast with the lightness of inlaid clear panels and mirrored elements.