Client: The Savarino Companies

Overview

WEEPING WALL, Powder-coated rigidized laser cut stainless steel, 25' x 6' x 3', installed in the 3rd floor atrium of the 500 Seneca restoration project.

Goals

WEEPING WALL is a monumental sculpture that provides a visual anchor to the expanse of the sky-lit 3rd floor atrium at 500 Seneca. The title refers to the geologic formation over which water cascades, as well as a reference to the historic Hydraulic District and water’s essential contribution to Buffalo’s industrial history. The intent was to create an organic and abstract structure that emphasized the height and breadth of the space, as well as providing an aesthetic object that shifts and transforms as the viewer changes perspective.

Process

On the heels of a design competition sponsored by the Savarino Companies for another project, I was commissioned by them to develop design proposals for this space, and worked closely with Saa Savarino, the president and Julia Spitz (VP) to ultimately achieve a design that would garner attention and serve as a powerful branding statement to the mixed-use redevelopment of this historic building. It was engineered and fabricated in partnership with Rigidized Metals Corporation, a company that Savarino was already working with at the time. Our introduction led to my inaugural artist's residency at Rigidized Metals.