Private Art | Zahner

James Turrell Skyspace

March 31, 2025/in Art & Sculpture, Exterior Architecture Private Art Council Bluffs--Iowa James Turrell Silver 2020 /by Alexandra Contreras

James Turrell is a master of light and space. He is known for his immersive installations, which explore the interplay of light, form, and human perception. These installations create ethereal environments that invite awareness and contemplation.

In 2020, Zahner had the unique opportunity to collaborate on a Turrell project for a private residence. The challenge was constructing a massive stainless steel sphere to enclose one of his signature oculus light installations. The goal was to craft a seamless, immersive space where form, materiality, and light converge into a one-of-a-kind sensory experience.

The sphere is clad with in Zahner Angel Hair Stainless Steel panels.

PHOTO ©️ A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

Turrell provided exact specifications to ensure the sphere’s geometric purity. Zahner’s engineering team shaped the structure using ZEPPS (Zahner Engineered Profile Panel System) and cladded the exterior with Angel Hair® Stainless Steel panels to match the client’s home’s aesthetic. Every detail was meticulously considered to maintain the integrity of Turrell’s vision.

The 14' dual-curved oculus cover features intricate patterning rendered with Angel Hair panels.

PHOTO ©️ A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

The sphere during construction at Zahner's headquarters in Kansas City.

PHOTO ©️ A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

Inside the sphere, a custom-designed teak and stone bench, built by Matt Castilleja of Castilleja Furniture and Objects, was installed for visitors to sit and experience the space. A stone floor and a whisper-quiet HVAC system were incorporated to create a comfortable yet undisturbed environment.

The project also includes a custom aluminum table and a viewing deck with a glass handrail, designed in collaboration with Wallace E. Cunningham. But perhaps the most striking feature is the oculus—a perfectly curved stainless steel cone with a circular aperture that allows light to enter and interact with the space dynamically. The oculus required precision filing to achieve the desired effect, creating a razor-thin edge that enhances the illusion of infinite depth.

A custom-designed teak and stone bench by Castilleja Furniture and Objects provides seating inside the sphere.

PHOTO ©️ A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

The oculus — the core feature of Turrell's artwork — creates an ever-changing experience of light within the sphere.

PHOTO ©️ A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

Two of the project’s most complex engineering feats were the entry door and the oculus cover. Designed with the help of artist and inventor Chuck Hoberman, the curved entry door operates with seamless precision, retracting effortlessly while maintaining the sphere’s curvature. The custom hardware allows the door to be opened from either side, ensuring functionality and aesthetic continuity.

The oculus cover, a 14-foot dual-curved dome, was designed to withstand wind and snow loads while maintaining smooth operation. Zahner fabricated a curved track system to match the sphere’s contours, ensuring that the cover glides smoothly into place. Extensive testing was conducted in Zahner’s workshop before the final installation, guaranteeing flawless functionality.

This remarkable project is a testament to what can be achieved when artistic brilliance meets innovative engineering.

The entrance to the sphere features a curved door that seals the viewers within the experience.

PHOTO ©️ A. ZAHNER COMPANY.

Queen Anne’s Lace

October 18, 2017/in Art & Sculpture Private Art Kansas City Dierk Van Keppel, L. William Zahner Blue, Brown, Green, Indigo, Light blue, Orange, Red, Rose S 2010 /by cmorris

Queen Anne’s Lace artwork for Private Residence

Queen Anne’s Lace is an artwork made in collaboration with Dierk van Keppel for a private residence, manufactured using Zahner CNC-cut 1/2″ plate aluminum. The artwork draws inspiration from an image of the Queen Anne’s Lace flower found in the collector’s garden.

Zahner worked with Dierk Van Keppel whose studio at Rock Cottage Glass created the glass inlay for the artwork. The metal component of the piece was made in aluminum at the Zahner facility in Kansas City. The aluminum surface is processed with a GB-60 finish, providing a muted reflectivity.

Related Project

Queen Anne’s Lace

Detail of the Queen Anne's Lace artwork, showing how light can pass through the glass inlays.

Book Forms

June 10, 2017/in Art & Sculpture Private Art, Public Art, Sculpture Duluth--Minnesota Steven Woodward M 1995 /by cmorris

Book FORMS at the University of Minnesota

Book Forms is a pair of sculptures by artist Steven Woodward completed in 1995. The artworks were made using Zahner art fabrication team. The artwork was manufactured in Kansas City and shipped to Minnesota where it was installed. Commissioned by the University of Minnesota, the artwork is located on the rooftop plaza outside of the Kirby Lounge at the school’s campus in Duluth, Minnesota.

Woodward worked closely with A. Zahner Company to manufacture the two massive metal book sculptures from copper, stainless steel, and weathering steel.

Related Project

Quill

Quill is the second sculptural collaboration between Zahner and Woodward. The first collaboration, Books of Knowledge, is located at the University of Minnesota.

Zahner engineers and craftsmen helped Woodward realize his design concept by concealing the hardware used to create each sculptural book. The books have become an outdoor study destination on top of the the Kirby Student Center rooftop.

Steven Woodward also worked with Zahner to design, engineer, and fabricate another sculpture entitled Quill at Upper Iowa University.

Angel Gate

June 10, 2017/in Art & Sculpture, Interior Architecture Private Art, Worship Center Kansas City L. William Zahner Brown, Gold S 2003 /by cmorris

Angel Gate at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception

Angel Gate is a bronze and aluminum art feature which was manufactured at the Zahner facility in Kansas City. Commissioned by The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, the bespoke metal artwork provides a functional gate entry into an inner worship space.

The artwork is made up of stacked plates of aluminum and bronze. To increase the contrast between the two metal components, Zahner created a stepped layout between each metal plate. This provided a bolder feel for the light gateway. The use of bronze accentuates the gold-gilded capitals of the two Corinthian columns in the doorway, visually integrating the gate with the church’s original late 19th century design and context.

Related Project

Queen Anne’s Lace

Zahner worked with Dierk Van Keppel whose studio at Rock Cottage Glass created the glass inlay for the artwork. The metal component of the piece was made in aluminum at the Zahner facility in Kansas City. The aluminum surface is processed with a GB-60 finish, providing a muted reflectivity.

Ornate gate design by Zahner for The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

The interior metal gate open in the church's interior.

The gate closed at The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

Detail of the Angel Gate at The Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception.

Quill

December 30, 2016/in Art & Sculpture Private Art, Sculpture Fayette--Iowa Steven Woodward Blue, Brown, Green M 1995 /by cmorris

Quill Artwork in Fayette, Iowa

Quill is a Steven Woodward artwork which was commissioned by Upper Iowa University and features Zahner art fabrication services. The 15-foot-wide sculpture was crafted in stainless steel, copper and aluminum. The artwork was inspired by the devastating tornado that hit campus in 1971, altering much of the terrain. As such, the artwork’s form takes on that of a cyclone, and is patinated to complement the nearby campus Green Goddess statue.

Quill is the second sculptural collaboration between Zahner and Woodward. The first collaboration, Books of Knowledge, is located at the University of Minnesota.

Related Project

Book Forms

Woodward worked closely with A. Zahner Company to manufacture the two massive metal book sculptures from copper, stainless steel, and weathering steel.

Hendrix Private Residences

December 30, 2016/in Art & Sculpture Private Art, Residential New York City Hendrix + Studio Jan Hendrix White M, S 2010 /by cmorris

Jan Hendrix Residential Art Installations

In 2010, Zahner worked with artist Jan Hendrix to craft a series of white painted aluminum screens for private residences. These aluminum screens typify Hendrix’s artistry, which can now be seen around the world. This work provides an early example of the collaborative work done with the two firms.

Multiple plates with custom tracery are cut into the aluminum. Jan Hendrix’s studio provided drawings to the Zahner team, and the aluminum artworks were then water-jet cut and fabricated with simple mounting systems. The artworks were then shipped and installed by local teams in Manhattan. These artworks represent a few of the many Hendrix Studio collaborations with Zahner. These include: Art Wall at Doha, the Hendrix Mexico Sculpture, and Patio de las Jacarandas, and many more.

Related Project

Patio de las Jacarandas

Patio de Las Jacarandas is a Jan Hendrix and Hendrix Studio-designed work of public art in Aguascalientes, Mexico. The project's metal canopy was developed and fabricated by Zahner in water-jet cut aluminum.