Client: Starbucks Coffee

Location: Scotts Valley, CA, United States

Completion date: 2019

Artwork budget: $12,000

Project Team

Artist

Pierre Riche

Pierre Riche Art

Client

Starbucks

Overview

Five of these galvanized rose towers were installed in front of a Starbucks coffee shop. Each tower is 18″ in diameter and 7' tall. The material is galvanized metal tubing. White LED lighting illuminated the inside portion of each column.

Goals

The goal here was to create a set of cylindrical structures that framed the concrete pathway. The choice of using galvanizing for the surface of the columns was to keep with an urban utilitarian feel.

Process

Corbet Write was the contractor who initially found me because of my involvement with the Scotts Valley Arts Walk. I have been curating and helping launch the art walk since 2017. Corbet is working as the General Contractor for the new town center and reached out to me after seeing my sculpture displayed in front of the local theater. He was interested in having some of my artwork displayed on loan for his Starbucks building and new restaurant to follow. I asked Corbet if he would like to have anything custom and artistic and one thing led to another. The first idea was to create bronze rose bushes. An inspiring concept and I was ready to attack the challenge but soon realized that the budget would render it impossible. It was thrown into my lap to come up with a solution. I scrambled my brain for ideas and then I thought of using the galvanized tubing. I wasn't sure how to cut up the tubes and still have them remain strong but am very pleased with the results.