Public Art | Zahner

Guggenheim Canopy

December 30, 2016/in Art & Sculpture, Exterior Architecture Museum, Public Art New York City Frank Gehry Partners Rose, Yellow M 2001 /by cmorris

Guggenheim Canopy at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum

The Guggenheim Canopy, designed by Frank Gehry Partners, is a Zahner-manufactured installation which was on view at the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York City beginning in 2001. The artwork was erected for a Frank Gehry retrospective at the Museum in May-August, 2001. In addition to providing the canopy, Zahner also manufactured a number of mirror-polish stainless steel tables for the rooftop cafe.

The canopy artwork was manufactured using a titanium skin and aluminum structure. The form was made using ZEPPS, the Zahner-patented technology for building sculptural forms. This system was used to build the aluminum structure. The titanium was then clad over the aluminum substrate using a custom flat seam system.

The titanium’s luminescent coloring was made possible by a thick layer of oxide on the metal surface. There are two distinct overlapping forms, and each is colored using a unique color of titanium-cladding made by varying the oxide thicknesses. This oxide process is called interference-coating, and can be used to create a range of iridescent colors on stainless steels and titanium surfaces.

Guggenheim Canopy during its installation at the Guggenheim in NYC.

Detail of the two color tones used on the Guggenheim Canopy.

Guggenheim Canopy during its installation.

Guggenheim Canopy at the Zahner facility in Kansas City.

Structural bones of the Guggenheim Canopy.

Gehry Sheet Metal Centennial

December 30, 2016/in Art & Sculpture Public Art Washington D.C. Frank Gehry Partners 1988 /by cmorris

Sheet Metal Craftsmanship: Progress in Building

To celebrate the centennial of the Sheet Metal Workers International Association, the SMWIA commissioned Frank Gehry to create a building within a building. The exhibition was entitled, Sheet Metal Craftsmanship: Progress in Building.

Designed, conceived, and constructed in 1988, the project was one of the first projects produced by Gehry and Zahner together. Installed in the former Gen. Montgomery Meig’s Pension Building of 1883, the neoclassical structure now serves as the National Building Museum.

Frank Gehry’s design barely fits under the five-story atrium ceiling, and directly contrasts the classical columns which hold it up. The sheet metal structure rises 65-feet high in the air, which is actually cut down from Gehry’s original height by 12 feet. Gehry wanted it to “press the space, to be almost too big for the room.”

Four different sheet-metal materials — copper, polished brass, galvanized steel, and a lead and tin steel called terne plate. He uses the four tones like a painter, varying the size and direction of his brush-strokes. According to Gehry, “It’s like if you threw a bunch of objects into a can. You would still recognize them all. That’s what a city is, a collage of disparate pieces.”

Zahner engineered, fabricated and installed of this custom sculptural form inside the National Building Museum. The installation was constructed for the Summer of 1988, after which it was dismantled, repurposed and recycled.

reBarn

December 30, 2016/in Art & Sculpture, Landscape Architecture Public Art, Sculpture Muncie--Indiana Ball State University, Project One Kevin Klinger S 2009 /by cmorris

reBarn by Project One

reBarn is a multi-use sculptural form designed by Project One with the students and faculty at Ball State. Permanently installed at Westside Park in Muncie, Indiana, the installation was made using reclaimed donated barn wood and Zahner-manufactured aluminum panels and hardware. The City of Muncie commissioned the artwork in partnership with Professor Kevin Klinger’s design studio at Ball State University and the Institute for Digital Fabrication.

As part of the designer’s intent, Zahner developed a series of etched patterns into the aluminum plate. In all, five water-jet aluminum plates were cut for the outer shell and over 350 aluminum joints were cut which align the sculptures form underneath the surface.

The reBarn project is installed at Westside Park as part of the public recreation trail running along the White River.

reBarn a collaborative project by Project One / Institute of Digital Fabrication / Ball State University.

Detail of the etched aluminum patterning on reBarn sculpture.

Related System

Etched & Engraved

Etched and engraved metal processes provide a canvas of possibility for expression on plate and panel surfaces. Learn more about laser engraving and CNC engraving, as well as how laser etched and chemical etched metal systems are possible with Zahner fabrication and engineering.

Project One visited A. Zahner Company’s headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri, to discuss the materials, tolerances, and processes that would be advanced in the project. Zahner assisted in the design of the connections between the wood and metal elements in reBarn.

The hardware made by Zahner controlled the form’s shape during the onsite construction and ensured a nearly seamless connection between wood and aluminum. Zahner’s unique ability to construct complex metal geometries and conceal a structure’s fabrication techniques from viewers helped Project One realize its design concept.

Tony Birchler at Zahner discusses digital fabrication with the design team.

The design team meets at Zahner in Kansas City to develop the concept.

reBarn provides a climbable multi-use sculptural form with seating and a sense of place.

Custom aluminum connections are fastened to concrete footings.

The wood and metal sculpture provides a solemn and yet playful experience.

In addition to providing a unique form, the design also was referential to its surrounding context. The design of reBarn references topographical of the adjacent river levees. Its playful form encourages a sense of place and identity for the visitors to the park.

Sport Stacks

December 16, 2016/in Art & Sculpture Kinetic Art, Public Art, Sculpture Cleveland--Ohio R.M. Fisher Silver L 1994 /by cmorris

Sport Stacks: Sculptures at Tower Park

Galvanized steel and stainless steel intertwines in this kinetic artwork made for artist Ron M. Fischer. The project was completed in 1994, and is located in Cleveland, Ohio at the Progressive Field Ballpark for the Cleveland Guardians.

The artworks are located on a pedestrian thoroughfare between the ballpark and the arena running along Ontario Street in downtown Cleveland.

Stainless steel clads the base and crowns the top of the Sport Stacks artwork. Lights are embedded into the tower structure, showing blue and gold which outline the tower’s shape. Polygonal in section, each tower has a large tapered base. The bases enclose utilities, vents, and an emergency staircase which emerges from an underground service area.

The towers contain blue and gold lights which enhance the form. The north tower is topped with a ubiquitous roof vent, which spins in the wind. On the south tower, a stationary crown tops the structure. Learn more about Zahner art fabrication for artists and collectors.

Stainless steel crown at the Sport Stacks artwork by R.M. Fischer

Detail of the stainless steel base by R.M. Fischer

Spinning roof turbine vent tops the Sport Stacks artwork by R.M. Fischer

1 3 5 7 9 11

December 14, 2016/in Art & Sculpture Public Art, Sculpture Kansas City Sol LeWitt White M 1994 /by cmorris

Sol Lewitt sculpture, 1 3 5 7 9 11

The Sol LeWitt sculpture 1 3 5 7 9 11 is a commission by the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art which was engineered and manufactured by Zahner in Kansas City. The artwork is a painted aluminum form which measures 16′ x 8′ x 8′ and was fabricated in 1996. The artist conceived of the work in 1994.

Zahner engineered and fabricated an interlocking system where each corner connects seamlessly. Instead of requiring a weld at the joint’s seam, the pieces are connected with an interior locking mechanism.

Related Project

One Sun / 34 Moons

In addition to the architectural features, a large scale site-specific artwork by Walter de Maria was commissioned by the Museum. Zahner was brought on as fabricator for the installation by the famed land artist. The work, entitled One Sun / 34 Moons, is made up of thirty-four 'Moons' which are realized as illuminated glass fixtures scattered throughout the installation.

1 3 5 7 9 11 at the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art in Kansas City, Missouri.

Process photo during the art fabrication at Zahner in Kansas City.

1 3 5 7 9 11 at the Nelson-Atkins Museum.

Detail of the aluminum joint prior to painting during the art fabrication process.

Above, a detail of the seamless engineered connection, a result of careful engineering and high-quality craftsmanship. This is the last sculpture of its kind fabricated during the artist’s lifetime.

Celestial Flyways

December 14, 2016/in Art & Sculpture, Landscape Architecture Kinetic Art, Public Art, Sculpture Kansas City Davison Architecture + Urban Design Laura DeAngelis Black, Blue, Indigo S 2008 /by cmorris

Star Disk and Celestial Flyways at Oppenstein Park

Celestial Flyways is a permanent interactive and kinetic artwork made through collaboration with Zahner art fabrication team. The public space includes a central piece by Laura DeAngelis entitled Star Disk, as well as a number of embedded stainless steel artworks inlayed in the concrete pavers. The artwork coincided with a complete redesign and rebuilding of Oppenstein Brothers Memorial Park at 12th and Walnut in downtown Kansas City. The park was dedicated April 18, 2008 and named Celestial Flyways to celebrate the natural environment of the Kansas City area.

The artwork was developed by artist Laura DeAngelis in collaboration with Peregrine Honig with the leadership of Davison Architecture + Urban Design. The piece was commissioned by the Art in the Loop Foundation, a metropolitan organization of business and civic leaders with a continuing mission to enhance central Kansas City with public art.

Star Disk has a number of built-in features which align with the stars and sky. The stars are revealed through holes in the disks filled by acrylic lenses which are lit from below. Drawings of the mythological characters associated with the constellations are etched on to the surface of the disk. Park visitors rotate the star disk to a date and time with a motor operated by buttons on the base.

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“I wanted to shift people’s perceptions and encourage a different kind of awareness of the space, reconnecting the park to the sky directly overhead and the continuous rhythms of the natural world, which are so easy to lose sight of in the middle of the city.

Laura deAngelisArtist.at

According to Astrolabe.org, the anaphoric Star Disk in the park is very likely the largest and most accurate astronomical machine of this type ever made. The ten foot diameter disk contains the positions of 457 stars in 50 constellations.

In addition to the Star Disk, a number of inlayed birds are scattered throughout the landscape of the Celestial Flyways park, pictured below. These were CNC-cut and etched by Zahner with artist renderings of birds.

This project was a cooperative venture between the city of Kansas City and Jackson Country Parks and Recreation. It required two years of work, the talents of at least 150 people at a cost of nearly $500,000, much of which was donated.

More information can be learned about the process, history, and installation of Celestial Flyways at the Astrolabes.org website.

A Great Place to Land

December 14, 2016/in Art & Sculpture Public Art Overland Park--Kansas Gary Kahle Silver M /by cmorris

A Great Place to Land in Downtown Overland Park

A Great Place to Land is an artwork by Gary Kahle located in Overland Park which was made using Zahner art fabrication services. Completed in 2006, the sculpture projects into the sky at the intersection of Conser and Santa Fe Drive. The permanent outdoor public artwork depicts two birds flying upwards in unison, and the work was provided by the Arts and Recreation Foundation of Overland Park in Overland Park, Kansas.

Zahner worked closely with Kahle to manufacture A Great Place to Land. Kahle came to the company’s headquarters in Kansas City, Missouri with a small maquette and worked directly with Zahner engineers and craftsmen to translate the maquette’s form into a 17-foot polished stainless steel form. The accomplished sculptor has worked with Zahner on a number of sculptural projects over the years.

Hope For Life

December 14, 2016/in Art & Sculpture Public Art, Sculpture Kansas City Larry Young L 2000 /by cmorris

Hope For Life Sculpture at the Stowers Institute

Hope for Life is a permanent artwork at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research, made by artist Larry Young using Zahner art fabrication. The artwork was completed through close collaboration with A. Zahner Company, whose engineers and fabricators transformed his concept into a larger-than-life sculpture.

Young’s concept for the sculpture was based off of a bronze casting which conveys the idea of the human form through an abstracted DNA double helix. After selecting Zahner to fabricate the artwork, Young provided the casting to Zahner engineers. The engineering team at Zahner developed a cloud map of the surface geometry, unfolding the forms and translating them into flat parts. These parts were produced in the Zahner shop using CNC equipment where they were assembled, welded and polished to create a seamless surface.

The artwork is installed at the Stowers Institute for Medical Research in Kansas City, Missouri.

The stainless steel artwork rises 32' and sits on a base of the same material.

A human figure stands for scale at the base of the sculpture.

Detail of the Hope for Life sculpture in Kansas City.

Douglas Avenue Bridge

December 14, 2016/in Art & Sculpture Public Art, Sculpture Wichita--Kansas GLMV Architecture Vicki Scuri Silver L 2000 /by cmorris

Douglas & Lewis Street Bridges, Light Towers and Railings

The Douglas and Lewis Street Bridges are a pair of bridge artworks by Vicki Scuri Site Works. The two bridges are located a few blocks from one another, and each bridge features a series of sculptural forms, rising more than 65 feet above the Arkansas River in Wichita, Kansas. Zahner provided art fabrication for the project, working closely with Scuri and the design team to realize this work of public art for the City of Wichita.

Designed in collaboration with Mark Spitzer Designs, the artworks are each made up of a number of stainless steel tower forms with lighting systems. The forms were inspired by Wichita’s aeronautical heritage and the Jayhawk sail boat, an America’s Cup competitor that is permanently installed adjacent to the bridge at the city’s historic boathouse. The towers allude to the ship’s bow and billowing sail, creating a ceremonial space for pedestrians crossing the bridge, and a beautiful site for the city’s river festival.

Zahner engineers modeled and enhanced Scuri’s initial design, and the massive light towers were fabricated from stainless steel extrusions. The public artworks were installed in 2000.

Looking up through the tower's stainless steel forms.

Stainless steel sail towers at the Lewis Street Bridge.

The Douglas Street Bridge project, during construction.

Pro Patria Mori

December 14, 2016/in Art & Sculpture, Landscape Architecture Memorial, Passive Security, Public Art Kansas City Ellen Driscoll M 2006 /by cmorris

Pro Patria Moria: Security gates for WW1 Memorial

Pro Patria Moria is a permanent artwork by Ellen Driscoll made using Zahner art fabrication services. Completed in 2006, the public work consists of two panoramic gates that form the entrance to the Liberty Memorial Mall and The National World War I Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, Missouri.

Driscoll worked collaboratively with team at A. Zahner Company to design, engineer, and fabricate the gates. Each of the massive gates have a frieze inlaid with mosaic tiles. Beneath the frieze, laser cut steel panels depict soldiers marching, creating a panorama viewable from inside and outside Liberty Memorial Mall. The museum archives inspired the gates’ imagery while a line in Wilfred Owen’s poem “Dulce et Decorum Est” inspired the name for the work.

When the gates are open, they create an 80’ long panorama; when closed, they form two separate panoramas, visible from both the approach to the site, and when leaving. The archives of the museum provide the main source for the glass mosaic imagery, along with images of the artist’s two grandfathers who fought in World War 1, and trench maps from their scrapbooks.