Long Island City, NY
Sunbather
Scope/Solutions
Created by Ohad Meromi from cast silicon bronze and painted bright pink, the Sunbather enlivens Jackson Avenue in Long Island City. The artwork was commissioned by New York City’s Department of Cultural Affairs’ Percent for Art program, Department of Transportation, and Economic Development Corporation. SGH consulted on the sculpture’s structural design.
SGH evaluated the Sunbather’s thin-shelled structure for overall stability, strength, and deflections. Highlights of our work include the following:
- Used a three-dimensional scan of a scale model to create and discretize a surface appropriate for our finite element analysis software
- Determined the applicable loads on the 9 ft tall sculpture, including the self-weight of the 1/4 in. thick bronze casting, snow, wind, ice, and people
- Collaborated with the New York Art Foundry to obtain material properties, such as material yield point, behavior at welded joints, and fatigue resistance
- Designed the stainless steel anchor rods and baseplates in coordination with the engineer at the local department of transportation for the reinforced concrete base
- Provided stamped structural drawings for permitting
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Project Summary
2016
Completion Date
Solutions
New Construction
Services
Structures
Markets
Culture & Entertainment
Client(s)
Mr. Ohad Meromi
Key team members
Additional Projects
Northeast
Glass II at Milan Design Week 2017
In 2017, The Mediated Matter Group at MIT Media Lab created Glass II for the Lexus YET Show to showcase evolving glass technologies. SGH consulted on the sculpture’s materials and structural design.
Northeast
Art Complex Museum
Constructed to house the collections of Carl A. Weyerhaeuser, the original gallery building opened in 1971 with spaces for permanent and rotating exhibits. SGH served as the structural engineer for the new entrance and modifications to support upgrades to the fire suppression system.