Client: UCSF MEDICAL CENTER

Overview

Engaging bronze sculpture is a wayfinding landmark within a large UCSF medical campus. This monumental, interactive sound sculpture draws our attention to the sky and what lies beyond, serving as poetic metaphor that invites pause and reflection. The 12’ high sculpture is sited in a bioswale near the entry to a new UCSF Medical Center in San Francisco’s Mission Bay. Cast in bronze with a green-blue patina, the form consists of a large bell-shaped horn that faces upward and a smaller bell-shaped horn that faces the sidewalk where pedestrians and patients pass by. The smaller horn connects to the larger horn through a continuously tapered tube and invites viewers to “LISTEN TO THE SKY . A circular array of 28 wind-activated bells with crystals rims the outer perimeter of the large bell, producing an ethereal tone that twinkles in complex patterns with a strong breeze wind; crystals refract rainbows in sunlight. The smaller horn acts as a listening portal, and the entire structure is designed as a resonant chamber, like a musical instrument, both amplifying and blending ambient street sounds with the lightly chiming bells, bird calls, airplane drones, rains and breezes.

Goals

The goal was to create engaging artwork that would orient people to their location within a large new UCSF medical campus in downtown San Francisco. The desire was for memorable artwork that was interactive, engaging both those with sight and those who have sight impairment or limitations. The sculpture is adjacent to a medical building serving those with sight impairment, so we were asked to create a multi-sensory experience that would be inclusive to all, including ADA accessibility for wheelchairs. The design emerged from our combined desire to create a way-finding icon along a busy urban corridor within a medical complex, with a means of supporting an analog, wind-activated audio component. We also wanted to add a welcome dose of warmth and playful organicity to the urban environs. The chimes take advantage of the site’s highly active wind patterns, and evoke the jingling bells that were once ubiquitous along 3rd Street, when the horse-car line transported laborers to the steel mills and shipyards further south. We welcomed input from doctors and UCSF staff who offered invaluable insight into how our artwork could both foster convivial engagement and help reduce potential stress for patients and staff alike.

Process

SKYHORN is an original work owned and commissioned by UCSF Health. Wowhaus worked closely with art consultant Chandra Cerrito to seek input from a large project team including doctors, hospital staff, architects, landscape architects, lighting designers, engineers and contractors. Their feedback informed the development of the sculpture from concept to installation. Via frequent meetings, we shared renderings, material samples, and prototypes over several iterations. We invited the project team to join us in a visit the bronze foundry where the sculpture was being 3D printed, cast in sections and assembled. The doctors were particularly fascinated by the ancient lost wax bronze casting technology and the artisanal skill and knowledge of the foundry craftspeople. SKYHORN capitalizes on the foundry's 3D-printing capabilities; we worked closely to meet their production requirements for this complex form. This piece is one of many bronze sculptures we have made with Artworks Foundry over the course of 20 years. The custom vibrant patina mimics the natural interaction of bronze with salt air; the patina is designed to evolve naturally as the bronze interacts with the salty San Francisco air. We also collaborated closely with the Clark Construction crew on installation.

Additional Information

To create this complex form in bronze, Wowhaus worked very closely with Yetiweurks Engineering, the client's own engineers and the foundry. The project also required close collaboration with UCSF architects, architects and landscape architects to ensure successful integration within the bioswale and the overall architectural design.