The official title of the 1926 document is blandly descriptive: “Industrial and Railroad Map of Greater Kansas City.” You’re forgiven if those words generate not a spark of curiosity, much less inspiration.

But what if the original desk-top map were the size of a building, the image re-created through a series of perforations on metal, the whole thing lighted from behind? And it had a lyrical, less literal name: “Rivers, Rails and Trails”?

At more than 22 feet high and 49 feet wide, the architectural artwork described by officials as “iconic and visually stunning” will be lighted Sunday on the University of Missouri-Kansas City campus, with a formal dedication Sept. 29.

The historical map, grown large as ornamental stainless steel screens and attached to the Miller Nichols Library addition, will burn magically at night. Think of a dye-injected X-ray, artfully illuminating the city’s arteries.

“We knew constructing this addition was a once-in-a-generation opportunity,” said Sharon Bostick, UMKC dean of libraries. “We wanted to make the most of it by creating a piece of public art that would be significant to the library and university but also pay tribute to the history of Kansas City.”

Actually, there are two identical “Rivers, Rails and Trails.” One nearly covers the west wall of the addition and faces the campus interior. The other is on the east wall, visible from Rockhill at East 51st Street. The 31,000-square-foot building houses the library’s new “book robot,” an automated retrieval system for much of the library’s collection. The retrieval system began operating this summer.

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