Tsai Performance Center Piece: Materials and Dimensions

After doing some research into metals and looking at the space I decided that I wanted a textured bronze look to the sculpture. Below are two examples of the kind of textured bronze that I'd like to cut the pieces out of.

I really like the way that the textured bronze has varied color and is shiny but not chrome. I think the changes in color and the textural variations will make the pieces more interesting so the light will reflect of them in interesting way. 

Below are the dimensions of the space that I am designing the piece for. The space is not perfectly square but for the sake of the diagram we will make the assumption that 73 and 74.8 inches are close enough in value that the basics of the conclusions made from this data are reasonably accurate. 

From this you can see that the maximum distance from the central point that the piece can extend is about 52.3 inches but that is only at the corners of the space, so any radial waveform should be arranged such that any pieces that are longer than 36.5 inches should be concentrated in those corners and will need to be examined to confirm that they will fit into the space. 

If I make the assumption that each radial piece will have a width of about an inch, that the average length of the pieces would likely be around 30 inches, and that the thickness of each piece is about 0.1 inches then we can make a few assumptions about the final weight of the piece if it were to be made entirely of bronze. The weight of a solid circular sheet with these parameters is about 137 pounds. 

That means that I would need to find a way to mount a piece that weighs about 140 pounds. I looked into a few methods and most of them involved drilling a hole in the wall behind the piece, but I would need to do more research to figure out exactly how I would  mount the piece.  

Tsai Performance Center: Photoshop Preview

Below is the preliminary idea of how the radial sound wave pieces would look in the space it's proposed for. 

Radial Waveform Specifications

Now that I've decided to pursue my radial waveform idea, I need to begin making decisions as to the specifications of the piece. 

Widths:

First, the width of the 'peaks' or 'sections'. 

The image above shows widths 1, 2, 3, and 4 (the leftmost/narrowest is 1, and the rightmost/widest is 4). 

I like how the narrower ones are able to show more detail with the variation in the heights of each 'bar', but I also like how the wider bars are more well-defined. Width 1 is too narrow; it shows quite a bit of detail but it almost looks too fuzzy. Width 4 is far too wide, so it is difficult to see the variation in the heights of each bar. I like widths 2 and 3 because they show interesting detail, but are also wide enough that they have clear, well-defined edges. Personally, I have a preference for width 3. 

Spacing:

Second, the amount of space between the bars.

The image above shows spacing 1, 2, and 3. Spacing 1 is on the far left, spacing 2 is in the middle, and spacing 3 is on the far right. 

The spacing also helps to define the edges of each of the bars, which I think would make the piece more clean looking. In addition, the marble wall behind where the piece would be placed is already very aesthetically attractive, so more spacing would allow that wall to show through  the piece and would help to integrate it into the space by incorporating preexisting features of the space.

I think spacing 1 is not enough space, because none of the background shows through. Spacing 3 is maybe too much space, so the background begins to dominate the piece. I think spacing 2 is the best option because it allows some space so they bars are each individually defined but it doesn't have so much space that it begins to takeover the piece. 

Inner Radius:

Third, the size of the inner radius of the piece. 

The image above shows radii 1, 2, 3, 4. and 5. Radius 1 is the leftmost on the top row (with no space in the center), radius 2 is the middle on the top row, and radius 3 is the rightmost on the top row. Radius 4 is the leftmost on the bottom row and radius 5 is the rightmost on the bottom row. 

Having a greater radius means that more of the marble wall will be seen through the piece, but it also results in a loss of variation and detail in the heights of the bars. 

Radii 4 and 5 are definitely my least favorite; the radius is too large and that makes bars too short and too similar in size. Radius 3 is also a little larger than I would like. Radius 2 is nice because it gives space in the center, but only a little bit so it doesn't take away from the heights of the bars significantly. Radius 1 has no space in the center so none of the marble wall would show through, but it has the greatest variation in bar heights which makes it interesting. Radius 2, however, communicates the idea of a 'radial' kind of art which  makes it cleaner and clearer. 

Radius 2 is the best radius and in the final piece because it preserved the idea of a radial waveform, allows the marble background to show through the piece in the center, and is small enough that there is still interesting variation and detail in the heights of the bars.  

Materials: 

As for materials I've decided that definitely want to use metal to get the appearance I'm looking for. In terms of color, I think that using a few different shades of bronze or copper (or both) would fit into the color scheme the space already has while also being interesting enough to draw attention. 

From here I need to keep looking into materials to  find the exact metal and finish so I can calculate the prospective cost and the necessary mounting hardware to install the piece.