Client: Allegheny County Airport Authority Pittsburgh, PA
Location: Pittsburgh, PA, United States
Completion date: 2015
Artwork budget: $250,000
Project Team
Industry Resource
Robert Sawyer
Creative Edge Master Shop
Artist
Clayton Merrell
Industry Resource
Roman Mosaic and Tile Co.
Roman Mosaic and Tile Co.
Architect
LGA Partners LP
LGA Partners LP
Industry Resource
Terrazzo & Marble Supply Co.
Terrazzo & Marble Supply Co.
Overview
This multifaceted 70,000-square-foot public art installation in terrazzo re-configured the circulation spaces of the central concourse while beautifully reflecting the heritage and vibrancy of the region. The flight-inspired design, “The Sky Beneath Our Feet,” gives pedestrians a bird’s eye view of the vast blue dome of the sky, intersected with historic aircraft and flight contrails.
Goals
The five floor murals, spanning up to 100 feet each, present intricate silhouettes of the iconic local skyline in exacting authenticity and rich detail. The murals contain as many as 600 individually water jet cut aluminum pieces filled with Terrazzo. The free flowing clouds required approximately 15,000 feet of zinc strip to be bent by hand onsite and laid out according to the artist’s vision. This was accomplished by using Creative Edge's TerrazzoTek™ AccuForm Stencil system as a guide for placement of Terrazzo divider strips.
Process
The design process began with the artist’s drawings on paper, which were then traced into a CAD file. Approximately 70,000 square feet of Stencils were water-jet cut for the divider strip layout and then laid out along control lines in the terminal floor to ensure an exact duplication of the pattern, lining up each section through the 60 distinct phases of the work. The collaboration between the Clayton Merrell (Artist), Roman Mosaic and Tile Co.(Terrazzo Contractors) and Creative Edge's TerrazzoTek™ System resulted in a continual amazement in accuracy, efficiency and time saved.