Stealth Sculpture

Stealth is an award winner! So far it has won 2015 ACI Georgia Chapter 1st Place Special Category Award as well as the 2016 ACI National Award 2nd Place the Palzzo Italia, and 1st Place in the ASCC Decorative Concrete Counsel Concrete Artistry under 5,000 SF.  In partnership with Cousins Properties as well as some design help from the team of Uzun + Case, Stealth is unlike anything we have ever seen or done. Anyone in the industry can tell you how concrete can take any shape, and Stealth proves that – in astounding fashion.

Rising 33’ amidst the bustle of downtown Atlanta, Stealth twists and contorts in artistic fashion. It gleams with the characteristics of steel, but don’t be fooled by its shiny and sharp-edged nature – what you’re seeing is solid black concrete.

Designed by Tristan Al-Haddad, an award-winning designer and visual artist, as well as an assistant professor in the School of Architecture at The Georgia Institute of Technology, Stealth’s formwork was modeled in Rhino Software down to the bolt level, then created using a 5-Axis CNC Router. Each piece, individually numbered, was built from three layers of 1/4” bent marine-grade plywood. The process used in assembling was very similar to boat building. The plywood face was then sanded and filled with gypsym, sealed and urethaned, in order to create a smooth surface.

After the forms were transported to the site, they were stacked in sections to allow multiple lifts to be performed as it continued to go vertical. The concrete had to be expertly designed to decrease the variation of color from pour to pour. Forta Ferro Macrofibers were also used to ensure the angled sections would resist cracking or breaking off.

Eight tons of rebar help give Stealth its shape; each rod had to be hand cut, bent, and placed with ultimate precision to allow proper coverage. Due to its exterior location, extra precautions were made to protect the open air site, as we battled a rainy spring.

The sculpture transforms itself as you move around it, which only partially begins to explain the thoughts behind the work of art;  investigating the relationship between spaces of matter and spaces of thought.  The foundation and sculpture weigh in excess of 204, 000 pounds and spans a 1600 square foot area.

2016 Excellence in Concrete Construction Awards – Decorative Second Place: Stealth

http://formations-studio.com/#/stealth/