Sculpture | Zahner

Douglas Avenue Bridge

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.

Gehry Horse Head

December 14, 2016/in Art & Sculpture, Interior Architecture Education, Sculpture, Workplace Northeastern United States, Princeton--New Jersey Frank Gehry Partners Blue-grey, Grey M, S 1997 /by cmorris

Frank Gehry Horse Head Conference Room at Princeton University

Zahner worked for long-time partner Frank Gehry to construct the original “horse head” sculpture and conference room, which now is on display at Princeton University.

Sheets of lead were hammer-formed over a plywood structure which encases a semi-private meeting space for students at Princeton University, pictured below. This was the first use of the horse motif by Frank Gehry. He would later produce a nearly identical form for the DG Bank building in Berlin nearly twice the size.

World-Architects’ John Hill profiled the sculpture at Princeton University in 2015, and discussed some of the history of the project.

“Yet Gehry did not design the sculptural “horse’s head” piece for Princeton, or as a conference room. It was to be a small part of a huge 22,000-square-foot (2,044-sm) residence for Peter B. Lewis in Lyndhurst, Ohio, but after ten years of numerous iterations the project was cancelled. Luckily a mockup, framed in wood and covered in lead, found a second life in the Icahn Lab, providing a suitable contrast to Rafael Viñoly’s curved glass wall and two-story atrium.”

— John Hill, World Architects

Related Project

Weatherhead School

The 22 ga stainless steel surface resembles an undulating, unbroken ribbon. Finished in #4 satin, the surface is more reflective than Angel Hair or GB-60 but less diffuse than a mirror-finish.

Frank Gehry Horse sculpture at Gagosian Gallery.

Installation of the horse head sculpture at Gagosian.

Frank Gehry with model for Parc des Ateliers.

Second version of the sculpture made for the DZ Bank building in Berlin

Ohio Holocaust and Liberators Memorial

December 9, 2016/in Art & Sculpture Memorial, Sculpture Columbus--Ohio Studio Libeskind Brown, Red M 2014 /by cmorris

The Ohio Holocaust and Liberators Memorial

This Ohio Holocaust and Liberators is a Daniel Libeskind-designed memorial which was manufactured and built by Zahner. The memorial was conceived to serve the millions who lost their lives in the Holocaust and the American soldiers who liberated those in concentration camps. The design by Studio Daniel Libeskind provides a space of contemplation, a place where ideas and values cut across generations, ethnic identity, and creed.

Approaching from the Statehouse, the visitor walks on a limestone walkway between inclined, graduated stone walls and two stone benches towards a pair of large 18-ft-high bronze panels. Embossed with a story told by a survivor of Auschwitz, the panels are also irregularly angled at their inner edges. The planes meet in the center, the jagged edges forming a cutout in the shape of a six-pointed star.

“The bronze book achieves an incredible sense of dynamism as each surface twists and turns, leaving no two surfaces parallel… In many ways, this project comes as much from Libeskind’s heart as from his hand.” — Architect’s Newspaper

The Ohio Holocaust and Liberators Memorial is a welcome place for reflection on public ground. Upon one of its stone walls, this line honoring the camp liberators is engraved: “If you save one life, it is as if you saved the world.”

Fabricators at Zahner place panels on the Ohio Statehouse Holocaust Memorial

Detail of the mockup for the Ohio Statehouse Holocaust Memorial

Detail of the metalwork prior to patination for the Detail of the mockup for the Ohio Statehouse Holocaust Memorial

Detail of the finished Memorial at the Ohio Statehouse

The Ohio Memorial after dusk on the lawn of the Ohio Statehouse

The memorial nears completion at the Ohio Statehouse

Birds in Flight

December 1, 2016/in Art & Sculpture Art Restoration, Sculpture Kansas City Jac T. Bowen Green /by cmorris

Birds in Flight Sculpture Restoration

Birds in Flight, by Jac T. Bowen, is a static sculpture formed from steel and copper-alloy plates. Located at the entrance to the Wornall Homestead, the artwork serves as a welcome to the well-known Kansas City neighborhood. Twenty years after its installation, the home owners’ association began noticing signs of deterioration and contacted Zahner to assist.

The Zahner team fabricated a new framework to replace the original steel understructure. Instead of using the existing (and corrosive) steel pipe, Zahner manufactured new structural components in stainless steel, eliminating the possibility of deterioration. The new structure was re-clad in its original, freshly cleaned copper-alloy plates.

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Diagnosing Sculptural Repair for the Jac T. Bowen Sculpture

Galvanic corrosion, which occurs when two or more dissimilar metals encounter one another, is a common cause of metal deterioration.

Birds in Flight exhibited extensive galvanic corrosion and weathering. Over time, the hammered copper plates reacted with the painted steel support structure causing widespread rust. Although the steel structure was painted, scratches within the paint coating affected the electrochemical coupling, accelerating corrosion and weakening the steel. The weakened structure began to sag and lose its shape in reaction to wind force, gravity, and occasional snow and ice loads.

Repairing and Restoring the Sculpture

Once the cause of deterioration was identified, Zahner carefully de-installed the sculpture, transporting it to the Zahner shop.

Once there, each part was carefully disassembled, cleaned, and repaired, if required. Working from photographs, Zahner artisans reassembled the existing and newly created components, remaining true to the artist’s original intent.

Original copper and steel parts for the <i>Birds in Flight</i> sculpture.

New stainless steel pipes for the Jac T. Bowen sculpture.

Zahner welds the new stainless steel armature for the Jac T. Bowen sculpture.

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.

Winged Refuge

August 15, 2016/in Art & Sculpture Government, Memorial, Sculpture Colorado Springs--Colorado John Lajba Silver M, S 2011 /by cmorris

Winged Refuge at the Colorado Springs Air Force Academy

Artist John Lajba came to Zahner with a machined cast-bronze model in-hand, which was used to accurately define the art fabrication of the commissioned monument to the United States Air Force.

Winged Refuge was manufactured using a semi-mirror stainless steel surface. The connection edges include both TIG-welded corners, as well as broken edges with Radius Reduction for the sharpest possible corner and edge connections. The two sculptures were fabricated in the Zahner shop, wrapped in blue-plastic netto, and shipped to the job site where each sculpture bolted into a raised stone section. The stone and concrete contractors then completed the rest of the ground surface.

Related System

Radius Reduction™

Radius Reduction™ provides a distinct alternative to traditional brake-formed metal panels, resulting in a crisp, origami-like metal edge on architectural applications.

Winged Refuge Sculpture at the Air Force Academy at Colorado Springs, by artist John Lajba.

Photograph of John Lajba with his Winged Refuge Sculpture Model.

Hope Tower at UNMC

August 15, 2016/in Art & Sculpture Education, Monument, Sculpture Omaha--Nebraska James Carpenter Design Associates Gold, Yellow L, M 2010 /by cmorris

Tower at University of Nebraska Medical Center

The Tower at UNMC is a James Carpenter Design Associates project. The project’s design team was led by Richard Kress. The campus art feature stands at 120 feet. A private donation led by Ruth and Bill Scott brought this iconic campus feature to the University of Nebraska Medical Center.

The tower serves provides a beacon for students, serving as both a navigational tool and an artistic centerpiece. Zahner provided the ti-coated stainless steel panels, perforated and prepped for installation onto the architect’s engineered frame. These panels were engineered and produced at Zahner at the Kansas City plant.

Related Surface

Ti-Stainless Steel

Ti-Stainless is a stainless steel sheet metal with with titanium alloy in its coating. There are several methods to achieve color on stainless steel. From the chemical bath process of Interference Stainless Steel to electroplating with tinting agents. Ti-Stainless is one of the most effective methods to achieve a unique tone or color on stainless is through titanium and other alloys applied to the surface of the stainless steel.

Perforated panels on Hope Tower at UNMC at dusk.

Gold-colored ti-coated stainless steel used on Hope Tower at UNMC.

Detail of the steel structure and perforated ti-coated stainless steel.

The design features hundreds of triangular perforated 16ga titanium-coated stainless steel panels which attach to an open structure. The perforations effectively create a visually lightweight aesthetic.

The tower was designed to reflect the beautiful effects that occur in the Nebraska sky. It combines stainless steel and natural light to embody UNMC’s scientific character and the transient qualities of Nebraska’s skies. If it’s a bright sunny day, it will appear to shimmer. At dusk, it will reflect the variety of colors that are in the sky.

Installers place the triangular curving panels at UNMC in Nebraska.

Detail of the perforated triangular panels used on Hope Tower at UNMC.

The project was built in the course of a year, and completed in 2010. This is the second project that Zahner has completed for the architects and artists at James Carpenter Design Associates, the first being the Silver Towers Courtyard in New York City. The designers at James Carpenter provide a unique outlook on the play of light on surfaces, an effect which is best perceived in person.

Suzanne Roberts Theatre

August 15, 2016/in Art & Sculpture, Exterior Architecture Performance Center, Sculpture Philadelphia--Pennsylvania Kieran Timberlake Gold, Red, Violet M 2007 /by cmorris

The Philadelphia Theatre Company’s dynamic Marquee signage

Completed in 2007, the Suzanne Roberts Theatre was designed by KieranTimberlake and features signage manufactured by Zahner.

Named for the former actress, playwright, and director, Suzanne Roberts Theatre is part of the initiative to enhance Philadelphia’s Avenue of the Arts. The building’s new marquee signage provides a striking statement about the quality of the arts program while maintaining the existing building and providing cover as an entrance soffit.

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Kieran Timberlake Office Stair

For the firm’s 63,000 ft² office, Zahner created a custom floating stairway. Connecting the entrance lobby and lab area with the office and meeting spaces, the painted red steel stairway is a feat of form and function.

Suzanne Roberts Theatre in Philadelphia.

KieranTimberlake contracted Zahner to provide engineering and fabrication for the dynamic shape of the facade signage. Working through an intitial Design Assist phase, the project was developed for digital fabrication.

To produce the sculptural form, the marquee was engineered and fabricated using ZEPPS Technology, the Zahner system for building complex, curving sculptural forms. The technology enables fast installation, installed in just a few assemblies. Each assembly is made up of structural aluminum fins and ribs which are prefabricated in the Zahner facility offsite. These assemblies were then clad in a number of sheet metal skinned surfaces. KieranTimberlake worked with Zahner to select a iridescent stainless steel surface which provides the sign’s unique coloring.

Detail of the Suzanne Roberts Theatre in Philadelphia.

CAD Diagrams showing individual Zahner assembly parts

ZEPPS structure for Suzanne Roberts Theatre prior to cladding

ZEPPS structure, clad in stainless steel skin with adhesive protective layer

Two assemblies made using ZEPPS in the Zahner yard prior to shipment to Philadelphia

Regazzoni Sculpture

August 15, 2016/in Art & Sculpture, Interior Architecture Education, Sculpture Asia, Doha--Qatar, International, Middle East Legorreta + Legorreta Ricardo Regazzoni Gold, Silver M /by cmorris

Ricardo Regazzoni Sculpture at Georgetown, Qatar

Forty reflective spiraling forms appear to float above the atrium at Georgetown University’s School of Foreign Services in the capital city of Doha, Qatar. Completed in 2012, this project marks the fourth significant work produced by Zahner in Doha, and the second produced under the vision of architects Legorreta + Legorreta who designed the building for Georgetown University at Doha as well as the HBKU Doha University Student Center a few blocks away.

The artwork at the heart of Georgetown University was conceived by sculptor Ricardo Regazzoni, engineered by Zahner, fabricated in the Zahner shop, and installed by local installers in Doha under Zahner supervision. Each of the forms measures 38’ long, and the artwork fills an area of 82’ x 131’ over the open atrium.

Collaboration between Zahner and Regazzoni is a match of of kindred philosophies. While Regazzoni works to transform architectural columns and archways into artistic expression, Zahner works to bring architecture into the realm of art. This alignment of sensibilities between the artist and fabricator gave this project a strong sense of direction.

Regazzoni Sculpture at Georgetown University.

Upward view of individual hanging sculptures by Ricardo Regazzoni.

View from below a hanging sculpture at Georgetown Qatar, by Ricardo Regazzoni.

Design Assist for Art: The Regazzoni Sculpture

In late 1990s while working with Frank Gehry on the EMP Museum in Seattle, Zahner coined a term which has become the industry standard for building complex projects: Design Assist. The museum’s complexity required that Zahner work closely with Gehry’s office to develop the design. Design assist was first used to describe this process. Since then, design assist has become widely known as the most intelligent construction method for achieving efficient and cost-effective production of complex architectural projects. Along with frequent partner Metalabs, this process is now being applied to art.

The Regazzoni Sculpture details were developed by Zahner’s think tank of installers, engineers, and fabricators: the Design Assist team at Zahner. This group of engineers and consultants worked together with the artist to develop a system which could meet both the functional and visual standards. The team developed a mockup to test the drawings and construction processes.

Detail of the Regazzoni mockup, revealing its minimalist connections.

Rendering of the Regazzoni installation in CAD.

From Mockup to Installation: The Regazzoni Sculpture

Regazzoni’s undulating, diagonal forms were extremely intricate, requiring specialized engineering and attention to craft during every stage of their creation: from design, to fabrication, to installation. Working within Regazzoni’s vision, Zahner’s Design Assist team developed specialized details for the connections of each intricate geometric part.

Zahner began by producing a mockup of the artist’s design, providing a model that revealed the connections and provided a template for the components. The design features a weld-less connection system. It was important to eliminate welds so that the mirror-polished surface would be free of any discoloration from the welding process.

The resulting surface minimizes the appearance of fasteners, and weld discoloration. The headless pin system is almost indiscernible to the naked eye, and the connections prove to be every bit as strong as welded joints: each connection is capable of supporting 600 kilos, or five times the hanging sculpture’s weight.

Shipping the Regazzoni

Due to its complex geometry and elongated form, the Regazzoni was susceptible to bending during shipment and transportation. To accommodate for this risk, Zahner designed custom lifting rigs and crating to ensure that the piece arrived at the installation site in good condition. Below is an example of the crating, which was custom-built to efficiently and safely ship the pieces overseas to Doha, Qatar. Zahner is committed to the integrity of an artist’s vision, from the preliminary stages of design to shipment and the final days of installation.

Zahner shop personnel make measurements to align the Regazzoni sculpture.

Zahner shipment personnel package the forms in open crates for delivery.

The artist wanted a visual masterpiece with concealed connections, so that each form appears to be suspended by magic. Zahner’s biscuit extrusion is used to attach the metal tendrils to the ceiling.

Building Art & Architecture

Together with the Metalabs art services team, Zahner has completed over 70 public and private works of art for both established and emerging artists. Working with artists has expanded Zahner’s research and development team, which has in turn provided many innovative surfaces, processes, and techniques applicable to both art and architecture. Zahner’s team of engineers and fabricators have proven flexible to many kinds of projects, and have produced works of many scales. Get in touch with to learn about how Zahner can integrate into your project.

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.