Public Art | Zahner

Heartland Harvest

Heartland Harvest: The Kansas City Board of Trade

Heartland Harvest, designed by Joel Marquardt of Gastinger Walker Harden Architects, was installed on the Kansas City Board of Trade Building in 1999. Joel Marquardt worked with A. Zahner Company to create a custom fabrication method for the final 60-foot tall sculpture.

Marquardt came to Zahner with a miniature maquette, which Zahner engineers recreated in an enhanced digital model. Zahner craftsmen and engineers designed a custom “on-off” press to recreate the maquette’s exact indents in Star Blue patinated copper.

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Daeyang Gallery

The firm has developed a growing number of works with Zahner, starting with the the Studio Libeskind-designed Contemporary Jewish Museum in which WRNS served as Architect of Record. Since then, Zahner has worked with WRNS on a number of projects, develop their unique design concepts into custom architectural systems, featured below.

Heartland Harvest at the Kansas City Board of Trade.

Detail of the copper panels made for Heartland Harvest.

Night image of the Heartland Harvest at the Kansas City Board of Trade.

The Chrysalis

November 17, 2016/in Art & Sculpture, Exterior Architecture Performance Center, Public Art, Sculpture Columbia--Maryland Living Design Lab, Marc Fornes / THEVERYMANY Marc Fornes Green L 2017 /by cmorris

The Chrysalis Amphitheatre at Symphony Woods park

The Chrysalis is a multi-purpose pavilion, sculpture, and performance center designed by Marc Fornes with Living Design Lab. Zahner manufactured and installed the exterior structure and skin system.

The Chrysalis is made of tubular steel knit together to form a structure that houses a pavilion and stage for performances. It broke ground in September 2015 and was completed and opened to the public April 22, 2017.

With its name, The Chrysalis pays homage to the larval transitionary stage of a butterfly. With its form, The Chrysalis references the low-lying cypress tree seen in the eastern United States marshland. Its enormous roots provide the structural capability for a sweeping array of performances and events. As a building, the venue will attract larger productions while also providing an intimate space for smaller gatherings.

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Film of The Chrysalis at Merriweather Post Pavilion.

The Chrysalis at Merriweather Park in Symphony Woods.

Marc Fornes’ design for The Chrysalis was brought to life by a team which architects of record Living Design Lab and landscape designer Mahan Rykiel. included Whiting Turner, ARUP, Walters Group, and Zahner.

Located in the city of Columbia in Maryland, the sculptural work is nestled in the Merriweather Park at Symphony Woods. The new construction is placed adjacent to the Merriweather Post Pavilion, a performance center in Symphony Woods Park.

Aerial photo of The Chrysalis in Columbia, Maryland.

Detail of the painted aluminum shingles and structure of The Chrysalis.

Detail of the painted aluminum shingles at grade.

Stage of The Chrysalis in Columbia, Maryland.

Rear stairway at The Chrysalis in Columbia, Maryland.

Detail of the structural aluminum and curved steel pipe.

Engraved design and construction credits at The Chrysalis in Columbia, Maryland.

East elevation of The Chrysalis in Columbia, Maryland.

The Chrysalis nearing completion in Columbia, Maryland.

3D buildup of components for The Chrysalis.

Structural system for The Chrysalis during construction.

Pritzker Pavilion

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Performance Center, Public Art, Urban Design Chicago--Illinois Frank Gehry Partners Silver L 2004 /by cmorris

Jay Pritzker Pavilion at Millennium Park

Pritzker Pavilion is a one-hundred-foot proscenium located at the North end of Millennium Park in Chicago. Designed by Frank Gehry Partners and manufactured with structural forms by Zahner.

The project consists of fourteen distinct forms, which visually appear as a cohesive whole. Each of these distinct forms is made using a straight stick steel primary structure. A secondary structure manufactured by Zahner attaches to the primary and is then clad in stainless steel by Zahner.

Each of these fourteen shapes serve to form the bandshell, providing protection from the elements while creating a focal point at the stage and orchestra pit of this dynamic outdoor amphitheater. Architects at Frank Gehry Partners began working with Zahner on this project in 1999, which was completed in 2004.

In total there were 697 prefabricated assemblies shipped to the jobsite. These assemblies were clad with over 3,000 stainless steel sheets measuring 2′ x 4′ on average. The sheets used for this project are 22ga Angel Hair finish on A316 stainless steel, a high performance stainless steel alloy containing molybdenum, a metal which provides high corrosion resistance for the metal.

The structure reaches a height of one-hundred twenty feet. In several areas, the structure curves back on itself, becoming nearly horizontal. The metal surface of this project is clad in stainless steel with a custom flat seam panel for dual curvature. The near-flat surface it creates, allowing the viewer to focus on the entirety of the shape rather than being drawn to the individual lines. According to an interview with the architect, the proscenium was inspired by Gehry’s 2001 flagship store for Issey Miyake in New York City, a sculptured titanium also made with Zahner.

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Column Cover

Custom column cover systems provide decorative and functional aspects to both interior and exterior architectural design. Column cover manufacturing has been a mainstay of A. Zahner Company's production for several decades, producing both custom and standard systems for designers all over the world.

Zahner also completed all 24 of the 6′ diameter column covers. These enclose the green area of the park and provide support for the overhead lighting and sound cage over the park. These column covers consist of heavy-gauge stainless steel plate panels rolled to shape and attached with interior fastening system. The columns range in height from 12’ to over 24’ .

Each of the column covers is clad in a 10ga stainless steel, a heavier gauge than the 22ga stainless steel cladding the proscenium.

Patio de las Jacarandas

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture, Landscape Architecture Pergola, Public Art Aguascalientes--Mexico, Central Mexico, Mexico Arturo Revilla and Jose Luis Jimenez Garcia, Hendrix + Studio Jan Hendrix White L /by cmorris

Patio de las Jacarandas at Aguascalientes, Mexico

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.

Situated at the historic Plaza de la Patria in Aguascalientes, the Patio de las Jacarandas is an architectural open-air canopy. Arturo Revilla and Jose Luis Jimenez Garcia served as the project’s architects, while Zahner’s scope on the project centered around the engineering and fabrication of the art canopy.

The system was engineered and tested by Zahner, and then manufactured and delivered to the jobsite where local installers erected the screen wall. The project was completed in 2015, and features a two-tiered canopy of water jet-cut aluminum plates. Both layers of cut-out metal are painted to create the white ¼” aluminum plate.

The Patio de las Jacarandas provides a place to gather in Aguascalientes.

The Jan Hendrix canopy mirrors the surrounding plant life at Aguascalientes.

Overhead view of the Aguascalientes project.

Canopy Filtered Shading with Diaphanous Light

Two layers of waterjet cut artwork make up the roof of the Aguascalientes canopy. The first layer, suspended on the bottom of the canopy, shows the overlapping branches of the jacaranda tree. The second layer of cutout leaves is installed 16” above the lower ceiling canopy.

These two layers are held apart from one another using tension cables. The distance between each layer gives the illusion of peering through tree branches. Intriguing shadows are also created, offering an immersive, shaded area for pedestrians in the city square to rest beneath.

The canopy’s two layers are designed to evoke the jacaranda tree at different seasons of the year. This motif was selected by the artist due to its prevalence in Aguascalientes. Numerous jacarandas are planted in parks and public areas across the City of Aguascalientes as well as throughout central Mexico. Their blooms are heralded as a symbol of the beginning of the spring season, blooming in February.

Patio de las Jacarandas in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

Creating the Cut Plate Material

To accommodate the intricate lines, the artwork is fairly thin in some areas, ¼” aluminum plate was used to water jet-cut the desired pattern. Using plate material gives extra support for artwork, and keeps delicate lines from bending or becoming misshapen as the public interacts with the art.

Jan Hendrix supplied Zahner with models, sketches, and finished drawings of the artwork. Zahner team of design engineers translated the artwork into files for manufacturing and cutting the metal shapes out of the aluminum plate. After the cutting process was completed, the panels and structural components were painted white and sent to the job site in Mexico for installation.

Zahner fabricators pre-assemble the Hendrix-designed canopy in Kansas City.

Jan Hendrix model for the Patio de las Jacarandas canopy.

Unique Column Design for Patio de Las Jacarandas

At the north end of the patio canopy, Jan Hendrix’s design extends down from the upper canopy into the gathering space, in the form of a perforated column. Although the surface appears as though it encases a structural support, the column is hollow with no enclosed structural support.

While the canopy depicts the leaves and branches of the jacaranda tree, the column shows the profile of their famous blooms. In this manner, the patio shows the entire lifespan for the blooms of the jacaranda through all four seasons.

This concept is further reinforced by the planting of several new jacaranda trees at the center of the patio. Throughout the years as the Patio de las Jacarandas sees further community interaction, the trees will continue to grow new blossoms each spring, creating a more impressive show each year.

At the northern corner of the project, a plate aluminum column cuts through the canopy.

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Column Cover

The column system was assembled in three separate panels, which align together with such precision that the seams become nearly invisible. Panels on the upper canopy also translate the design without the visual appearance of seams.

To create this seamless look, Zahner examines the pattern’s parametric relationship, mapping out individual elements as they relate to the entire design. This way, lines and patterns can cross between various panels without being interrupted by ‘picture frame’ edges. This technology is used across the entire project, so that the construction methods do not become distracting to the artist’s design.

Opening gala event for the Patio de las Jacarandas in Aguascalientes, Mexico.

Opening Ceremony for the Patio de las Jacarandas

The opening ceremony took place during the Summer of 2015, and was attended by The Governor of Aguascalientes, Carlos Lozano de la Torre and his wife Blanca Rivera Rio Flores. The two were influential in bringing the project to the State of Aguascalientes.

Jan Hendrix, pictured with Governor Carlos Lozano de la Torre and his wife Blanca Rivera Rio Flores at the opening.

Sunlight filters through the Jan Hendrix-designed canopy at Aguascalientes.

Ground level fountain accents the canopy design at Aguascalientes.

Perforated metal canopy casts shadows at Aguascalientes, Mexico.

Patio de las Jacarandas, Aguascalientes, Mexico.

After the project was completed, Jan Hendrix was honored at the opening ceremony at the Patio de las Jacarandas. As an artist of renown who has moved into the architectural world, Hendrix has translated his works on paper into physical manifestations for communities all over the world.

Zahner has completed over a dozen works for Jan Hendrix, which are located in city centers and private collections around the globe.

One Sun / 34 Moons

August 15, 2016/in Art & Sculpture Museum, Public Art, Sculpture Kansas City Steven Holl Architects Walter de Maria Gold M, S 2002 /by cmorris

Walter de Maria’s One Sun, 34 Moons Sculpture

In 2001, Zahner was enlisted to work on the master plan for the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. The building, designed by Steven Holl Architects, is a massive expansion, and Zahner provided various metalwork throughout the new construction and played a role in the renovations to its existing historic building.

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.

These ‘Moons’ are installed at the bottom of a large reflecting pool in front of the museum’s northern staircase. At the artwork’s center is a golden ‘Sun’ fabricated by Zahner in stainless steel, surfaced with gilded bronze.

One Sun / 34 Moons, by Walter de Maria, 2002.

The artwork is a collaboration in several ways. The artwork features a gilded bronze leaf application developed by Walter de Maria partners American Burnish in New York. The vision of Steven Holl can be seen in how the ‘Moons’ provide natural lighting for the parking garage underneath. Zahner’s expertise can be seen as both the massive engineered form as well as the long-term performance of the architectural metal as art.

For the artwork, Walter de Maria wanted a golden color that would appear bright in almost any light, direction, or shadow. Zahner’s team worked with the artist on various color options, and the textured gilded bronze surface was selected as the best option to meet these constraints.

In creating the form of the ‘Sun’, Zahner was able to apply engineering and fabrication expertise as well as an unparalleled understanding of metallurgy.

Selecting and specifying the construction materials for performance and durability required careful consideration of the engineered details, galvanic corrosion, and pH levels for the reflecting pool and water feature design to prevent moisture from deteriorating the surface.

Steven Holl & the Use of Light: 34 Moons

Perhaps the most intriguing aspect of Walter de Maria’s sculpture is the way that it integrates into the greater architectural vision of Steven Holl & Chris McVoy. Each of the ’34 Moons’ are actually part of a skylight design used to provide natural light to the parking structure below the surface of the park.

The light temperature of the neon illumination matches that of the moon; the architects’ use of both natural and electric light innovates and plays perfectly into Walter de Maria’s vision of the moon in an almost literal sense.

Photograph of the Walter de Maria artwork at dusk.

Detail of the gilded leaf, Nelson-Atkins, Kansas City.

Oakley Fifth Avenue

August 15, 2016/in Exterior Architecture Flagship, Public Art, Storefront New York City Oakley Colin Baden Black, Blue-grey M 2015 /by cmorris

Oakley Fifth Avenue, New York City

Zahner worked with Oakley’s architectural team to create the new Oakley flagship store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, New York. The project’s scope included the development of a geometric facade with no visible fasteners, which could be installed on a 100-year-old building across one of the busiest streets in New York.

This wasn’t Zahner’s first collaboration with Oakley. In the late 1990’s Zahner’s engineered metal-fabricated systems were used the facade and interiors of the Oakley Headquarters in Foothill Ranch, California.

For the Oakley Flagship at Fifth Avenue, the company’s unique ”Mad Science“ aesthetic shows through as a massive black geometric facade and canopy system for their latest retail experience.

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Oakley Headquarters

Designed by Oakley director of design Colin Baden with Langdon Wilson Architecture, the headquarters and technical center was completed in multiple scopes. The project first began in 1997 and was completed in 1998. Years later the company would come back for additional scope, producing the Oakley reception desk in the same aesthetic.

Details of Oakley Fifth Avenue in New York City.

Developing the Design for the Oakley Flagship on Fifth Ave

One of the design challenges for this project, was that the client didn’t want to show or see any fasteners on the surface of the system. Zahner engineers and fabricators rose to the challenge, providing a connectionless facade.

The aluminum skin used Radius Reduction technology to create the geometric forms. These angular forms were v-notched using a custom milling system developed by Zahner for making a v-groove on unique panels. On this system, each of the holes were cut, as well as the perimeter shape for the forms. Each panel had ten to fifteen skins in 3/16″ aluminum, with 3/4″ steel structure. The finished surface was painted with acrylic polyurethane coating system, spray-applied with Matthews System paint. The design has 8″ between the panels.

Architect's renderings of the Oakley Facade for Fifth Avenue Flagship.

The existing building is more than 100 years old, which created unique hurdles for attaching a heavy load. Zahner project team coordinated steel, and coordinated the site, for three months while developing the model. During this process, the design team discovered code changes providing additional challenges. The offset couldn’t go more than 18 inches off of the building. Some of the pieces were canopies, so there were limitations on how far off the building it could go.

As part of the project’s Design Assist phase I, a mockup was made of the design. This mockup was displayed in Kansas City for the clients, which provided valuable feedback for the fabrication of the final product.

Mockup at Zahner in Kansas City for the Oakley Fifth Avenue in New York City.

Aluminum profiles with notches cut for clips.

Making the most efficient installation possible.

The large elements were to be hoisted on one of the busiest avenues in Manhattan. So providing The design was essentially three sections: the steel structure, the aluminum clip, and then the aluminum skin. The clip had all the intelligence. As such it is a very smart object. The connection between steel and aluminum facade, is a clip connection.

There is no mechanical connection operation required in the field. The skin drove the geometry, and the structure followed the skin, and then clip was the intermediate. Zahner made notches in the steel, and small cut-outs in the skin for the clip system. There were 100’s of clip types, and 1000’s of clips in total. Each panel had a spreadsheet, and there were columns in the spreadsheet that had. Zahner engineers call this process powercopies. A powercopy is a reusable parametric modeled component. The end result is a face with no face fasteners. Invisible plug welds were used on the front, and rivets on the back.

Zahner strung conduit for the sign and lighting. The signs were placed on the sculptural form before being shipped out. On-site, the final wiring was simply making a connection. The project was installed on site in a matter of days.

Installers lift the Oakley panel on Fifth Avenue in New York City.

Point Pavilion

August 15, 2016/in Art & Sculpture Performance Center, Public Art, Sculpture Charleston--South Carolina BNIM Gold, Grey M 2004 /by cmorris

North Charleston Point Pavilion in North Charleston

The Point Pavilion at Riverfront Park in North Charleston, South Carolina is a fast-track work of public art designed by the architects at BNIM. Zahner design-engineered as well as fabricated and installed the entire system. This scope included the metal screens and hanging apparatus as well as the structural steel members which frame the artwork’s shape.

The client’s team used the Design Assist build method, meaning that Zahner played a collaborative role in the design’s development to reduce costs and improve the design’s efficiency and ease of construction. To facilitate structural analysis and fabrication constraints, Zahner developed a Building Information Model (BIM) which served as the entire project team’s BIM function for the duration of the project.

The main structure is made of 12” diameter galvanized steel pipe, rolled to a constant radius and cut to exact compound angles. The 3D model was utilized to produce templates of each cut. The welded frames were hot dipped galvanized post fabrication.

7/8” galvanized wire rope was strung between each frame to serve as a support for the perforated aluminum shading panels. The 3/16” aluminum panels were punched to a custom pattern as defined by the architect using custom perforation to reflect woven baskets that are indigenous to the region.

From initial concept to completed erection, the process took a total of six months. The entire process was streamlined to provide the maximum value to the client and to meet the project budget and schedule.

Detail of the Noisette metal panel system in North Charleston, SC.

Live performance at the Noisette Pavilion after completion.

Zahner's Tony Birchler and Wallace Engineering's Steve Huey test the structural load of the individual perforated panel mockup.

Weld inspection of the steel structure at Zahner headquarters in Kansas City.

Detail of the perforated aluminum plates on Noisette.

View of the shadows created by perforations from the aluminum panels overhead.

Structure of Noisette Pavilion, also designed-engineered and fabricated by Zahner.

Construction of Noisette as it nears completion.

View of the sky through Noisette's perforated aluminum panels.

Awards and Recognition

2005 — IPA Award for outstanding perforated metal
2006 — Illuminating Engineering Society of North America – International Illuminations Design Awards, Capital Section Award
2005 — AIA Young Architect’s Forum – Monsters of Design, Merit Award

Murphysboro Sculpture

August 15, 2016/in Art & Sculpture Public Art, Sculpture Murphysboro--Illinois John Medwedeff Silver M 2010 /by cmorris

Carl Lee Park Pavilion and Bandshell in Murphysboro

The Carl Lee Park Pavilion and Bandshell is a sculptural form which features Zahner manufacturing and engineering technologies. Designed by artist John Medwedeff, this public art project is located at the town center of Murphysboro, Illinois. The project was completed in 2010, and measures 35′ long. The artwork provides a small amphitheater for the town’s public park where musicians perform outdoor concerts.

The project uses the same ZEPPS technology that Zahner developed on such buildings designed by Frank Gehry Partners and Randall Stout. These building designs required metal to curve and twist, all the while remaining highly accurate from edge to edge. Using ZEPPS, the patented technology for building unique forms, Zahner was able to design and manufacture the curvilinear framework for the Murphsyboro Bandshell.

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Murphysboro Sculpture

Murphysboro Town Park Pavilion and Bandshell by John Medwedeff

Fabricating Public Art using a Digital Model

The Design Assist Team modeled the project using the artist’s maquette as reference. Zahner scanned the artist’s model and developed an art fabrication plan for the sculpture. The model’s design details were further developed by Zahner engineers, dividing the model into several buildable subsections.

These subsections were then fabricated at the Zahner shop, and shipped to the job site. There the installers connected the frameworks, and secured the stainless steel skins to the aluminum substrate.

By using digital processes, Zahner was able to closely match the artist’s original model, and produce a large-scale version in aluminum substructure with stainless steel sheeting.

Zahner used an Angel Hair stainless steel surface for its cladding, which was secured to the ZEPPS framework during installation by Zahner field crew.

Digital model for the Town Park Pavilion and Bandshell by John Medwedeff

Zahner installation crew installs the fabricated ZEPPS components for the Medwedeff sculpture

The final artwork is an exacting fabrication of its digital model.

Hoi Polloi

August 15, 2016/in Art & Sculpture, Landscape Architecture Public Art, Sculpture, Urban Design St. Louis--Missouri HNTB Lindsey Stouffer L, M 2006 /by cmorris

Hoi Polloi at Forsyth Metrolink Station

Hoi Polloi is a public artwork by Lindsey Stouffer, located at the Forsyth Metrolink stop in the greater St. Louis area. The artwork was manufactured by Zahner in Kansas City.

The Forsyth St. Louis MetroLink stop is a below-grade, open-air station located at the intersection of Forest Park Parkway and Forsyth Boulevard on the border of University City and Clayton, Missouri in the greater St. Louis metro area. The public artwork is one of nine commissioned for the St. Louis railway extension as part of the HNTB-designed Cross County Metrolink Extension.

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Capitol Federal Hall

The building features various exterior and interior metalwork, design-engineered and manufactured by Zahner. The project was completed in 2015. Zahner worked with architects Gensler and Gastinger Walker, under the construction management of JE Dunn.

Hoi Polloi public artwork for the St. Louis Metrolink at Forsyth Station.

The artwork consists of four large metal screen assemblies which face one another, divided by the metro’s train tracks. Perforations in the screens create an optical illusion, a moire effect which appears to shimmer as viewers descend into the amphitheater-like space.

The Manufacturer Behind Public Art

Zahner was selected by the artist to produce this public artwork for the St. Louis Metrolink. The artist’s plans were translated to constructible schematics through Zahner’s Design Assist program, a process whereby Zahner engineers work within a budget to develop a customized plan for building art and architecture.

After the design assist phase, the project went through a more typical engineering for production, and was then manufactured at the Zahner plant in Kansas City. The parts were crated and shipped to the jobsite, where the sculpture was assembled and installed by Zahner’s fabrication team.

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Guardrail

Custom guardrail systems are a critical component of providing a design which is both safe and friendly for unique architectural environments. Zahner works with designers to provide bespoke handrail and guardrail systems for their projects.

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It’s intended to feel intimate and monolithic, durable and penetrable, relevant and timeless, specific and general.

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Perfectly Perforated

Over the early 1990's, patterned usage of perforated metal began to appear. At the time, the pattern were limited by programming. It wasn't until the early two-thousands, when Herzog & de Meuron designed the de Young Museum, that perforated metal would truly enter into its own.

Hoi Polloi explores the way a person thinks and feels entering a public space. ”It’s intended to feel intimate and monolithic, durable and penetrable, relevant and timeless, specific and general.“ — Lindsey Stouffer, the artist behind Hoi Polloi, a large-scale public artwork for the Forysthe Metrolink Station.

Zahner created the two main artworks on the site, which measure 20’ h. x 15’ w. (South), and 26’ h. x 30’ w. (North). Zahner was also responsible for crafting a custom railing system which integrates into the hardware of the perforated metal artwork.

Zahner’s involvement with the art community for both public and private artworks has steadily increased as the company produces ever-more complex and artistically innovative works of architecture.

As many works of public art do, the Hoi Polloi environmental sculpture straddles the line between fine art and architecture, and pushes the boundaries of both in the process.

Hendrix Mexico Sculpture

August 15, 2016/in Art & Sculpture Public Art, Sculpture International, Mexico, Mexico City Hendrix + Studio Jan Hendrix S 2013 /by cmorris

Jan Hendrix Mexico Sculpture for Private Collection

Produced using milled plate-aluminum, this sculpture is a permanent installation in Central Mexico, one of several projects by artist Jan Hendrix produced by Zahner. Mr. Hendrix has worked with Zahner on numerous occasions for projects in the United States, Mexico, and Qatar.

Completed in 2013, the latest Jan Hendrix sculpture was commissioned by a private collector as a permanent installation on the client’s property. The human-scale sculpture includes a landscaped lighting system designed to accentuate the polished aluminum surface.

The material is a plate aluminum, polished to a near-mirror finish. The artist desired a highly reflective aesthetic for the surface. Many of the artist’s thick-cut metal designs were manufactured by Zahner using water jet cutting which gives the metal surface a matte edge. For this project, the artist desired a reflective edge. Zahner worked with the artist to develop a milling technique which prevented the need for additional buffing and polishing of the aluminum surface.

Milling the aluminum also gave the artist flexibility for how the cuts were removed from the material. Zahner worked collaboratively with Jan Hendrix through several different iterations, discovering that a special mill tip and machine speed gave the best finish. The softened edge makes the piece more approachable and touchable as a consideration of the artwork’s street-level presence. The final cut features a rounded bevel and a polished edge which gives the milled aluminum surface an aesthetic of liquid metal. Upon the artwork’s completion, Jan Hendrix mentioned that the chosen finish gave the work a jewelry-like effect, stating that the piece looked as though it was cut from pure silver.