Client: Korman Communities

Location: Philadelphia, PA, United States

Completion date: 2017

Artwork budget: $40,000

Project Team

Industry Resource

Haskel Zeloof

Diversatech

Client

Korman Communities

Korman Communities

Architect

Stephan Potts

Stanev Potts

Overview

The sculpture was designed for the lobby bar at the Franklin Residences. Experimenting with folds, the piece creates a language that moves fluidly across the space. Each fold plays with light in a different way; both reflecting and absorbing it to bring a sense of depth to the piece. The added contrast created by the black and gold gives the folds an even greater sense of depth, accentuating their form. Spanning over forty feet, the sculpture is a striking element that works to tie together the bar and lobby of The Franklin.

Goals

As the architects for the previous lobby and bar renovations, we were asked to study a ceiling treatment to make the bar area more intimate in scale. We proposed a suspended sculpture with lighting and acoustical properties. Initial thoughts pertained to existing elements of gold leaf and dark metal, as well as consideration for the building's namesake, Benjamin Franklin. Our training in art and fabrication allowed us to internally integrate the design needs of the space, the logistics of installation, lighting, and overall design of the art piece.

Process

Something abstract to evoke lightning and kites in a playful way felt like a great fit. A number of iterations were created to experiment with the form and lighting effects for the insulation. Once a final design was reached, sheets of aluminum were carefully bent and adhered to one another. The metal was then painted black and set to dry before finally being leafed in gold.