Client: Private Client
Location: San Diego, CA, United States
Completion date: 2014
Artwork budget: $20,000
Project Team
Artist
Mark Gerardi
GERARDI DESIGN
Client
Joel Herzer
wangs
Overview
50k sq. ft. restaurant design included artistic elements and sculpture, using hand hammmered and twisted steel.
Goals
When I was first approached by the owners of the soon to be built, chinese-themed, restaurant in the heart of North Park, SD, we talked about a central sculpture that would be able to tie together the 50,000 sq foot space. We landed on the idea of an oversized bonsai tree that would be seen from every seat in the restaurant.
Process
As with many Gerardi Design projects after it began taking shape and we all soon realized that we had something special, we decided to use the bonsai theme element in more areas. As a result, we implemented it into the booth lighting / staircase and the 18' - bar height communal table. All the elements of the project use hand twisted steel and were fabricated on site. The tree stands at 14' tall and sits atop an elevated platform making the root system span a 20' x 10' footprint.