Client: Children's Mercy Hospital

Location: Kansas City, MO, United States

Completion date: 2017

Artwork budget: $97,500

Project Team

Artist

Dierk Van Keppel

Rock Cottage Glasworks

Designer

Alison Wood

Rock Cottage Glassworks

Industry Partner

Sean Kelley

A. Zahner

Overview

Genome is a five-story double helix of hand blown glass, stainless steel and aluminum. The DNA strand is illuminated by LED color changing lights for exterior viewing.

Goals

The main goal for Children's Mercy was to express the fun in science. The design took the form of a DNA strand made of colorful glass gumballs. The glass cascades through a five-story staircase atrium which is enclosed by a north facing curtain wall. Genome was illuminated by color-changing LEDs for a dynamic interior and exterior effect day and night.

Process

Genome took a team of conceptual artists, designers, and engineers to come alive. I would like to thank Alison Trent for the initial design, Zahner for their engineering, and Scribe for the opportunity to make a custom piece of artwork for Children's Mercy Hospital. The scientific and playful concept came from the design of the ribbon-like five-story staircase. Colors for the gumball glass were designed to be bright, patterned, and graphic. Finally, the engineered suspension system framed out the glass with top and bottom mount systems and a chromosome structure down the center.