Client: Irgens Development
Location: Milwaukee, WI, United States
Completion date: 2016
Artwork budget: $500,000
Project Team
Artist
Paul Mattek
Design Fugitives
Artist
Tuan Tran
Design Fugitives
Artist
Justin White
Design Fugitives
Overview
Suspended atrium sculpture, 50’x40’x10′, comprised of 300 custom-perforated copper tubes, held in a tensegrity formation with stainless steel wire and custom-designed hardware, internally lit with strips of LEDs.
Goals
The goal of this project was to create a statement piece for the 4-story atrium of a new office high-rise being constructed in downtown Milwaukee. This was our most technically challenging project to date in regards to form, fabrication, lighting and installation. We had to design and install the sculpture around multiple spatial constraints, while still maintaining the integrity and artistry of the piece.
Process
The sculpture was entirely designed, fabricated, and installed by Design Fugitives. To create this piece, we worked with the building architect, Kahler Slater, and our client, Irgens Development, to ensure that the piece we created would work within the spatial constraints and complement the architecture well.
Additional Information
To overcome spatial concerns, we wrote a computer program to determine placement of each module within the structure. This ensured that the sculpture wouldn’t overlap outside of its spatial constraints and designed custom hardware ensure modules are joined together at specific angles and remain structurally sound.