Client: MDM Development Group

Overview

In the fall of 2010, JW Marriott Marquis unveiled their newest luxury hotel in downtown Miami, a 41 story, 80,000 sq. ft. tower with three concierge levels. As part of an extensive art package, I was commissioned to create a 15' x 2.5', backlit glass wall sculpture for the third level, just outside of the Grand Ballroom.

Goals

Soho Myriad approached me for their project based on a small stained glass wall sculpture they had spotted in my portfolio. For the oversized niche at hand, they wanted a similar piece, but enlarged five times in length. With placement next to an enormous window, we knew the stained glass would have beautiful illumination from the side, but by mounting the artwork on a light-box, the goal was to enhance the piece with a subtle glow that would intensify as the daylight fades into evening.

Process

At fifteen feet long, the piece needed to have a modular design. After deciding to break it down into four separate panels, each with their own separate light source, the challenge then became how to light each panel evenly. Because of it's irregular shape, I opted to use rope light to create a serpentine system that could be adjusted as needed to illuminate the outer edges. Once the piece had been designed, I created and sent an electrical sketch to MDM so that their electricians could map out and place the four necessary outlets in preparation for the installation.

Additional Information

With a perimeter of free standing strips of 1/8" thick stained glass, the panels required special shipping. A number of companies bid for the job, but Cadogan Tate, offered up the most pragmatic shipping solution: using Oz clips to attach each panel to a custom-built travel frame and then housing it inside of a secondary crate. Eliminating the need for padding, the panels could literally float down to Miami without anything touching them. I was onsite for the un-crating, and we all breathed a sigh of relief to find they had arrived in perfect condition.