Boston, MA
Symphony Park Sculpture
Scope/Solutions
As part of Symphony Park’s redesign, the Boston Parks and Recreation Department collaborated with the Boston Art Commission and the Friends of Symphony Park to select Jacob Kulin to design a sculpture for the park. Celebrating the nearby Berklee College of Music and Symphony Hall, Kulin’s design embraces the shapes of string instruments in his modern Scandinavian style. SGH consulted on the structural design for the 16 ft tall sculpture, First Chair.
SGH analyzed and evaluated the proposed structure for the sculpture, comprising Cor-ten steel, stainless steel, bronze, and granite. Highlights of our work include the following:
- Recommended modifications to the proposed design to increase stability and durability
- Designed the precast concrete foundation and the sculpture’s anchorage
- Detailed stone seat and curb
- Prepared permit drawings and foundation package drawings
- Performed parametric modeling of sculpture hardware and developed renderings and animations to demonstrate the design to approvers
- Provided the fabrication team with direct-to-digital fabrication files for the steel components
- Developed assembly and shop erection drawings
- Reviewed foundation and stonework shop drawings to compare with the design intent
Project Summary
Solutions
New Construction
Services
Structures
Markets
Culture & Entertainment
Client(s)
Kulin Modern
Key team members


Additional Projects
Northeast
9 Ash Street
Designed by Philip Johnson, the house at 9 Ash Street was his Harvard University Graduate School of Design (GSD) thesis project. SGH served as the structural engineer of record and building enclosure consultant for a two-phase stabilization and renovation of this iconic modernist house.
Northeast
Boston Society of Architects, Let’s Talk About Bikes Exhibit
The exhibition, Let's Talk about Bikes at the Boston Society of Architects (BSA) Space, celebrated the rollout of a comprehensive bike-sharing program in Boston and recognized the recent growth in bike infrastructure and ridership. SGH consulted on the structural support for the suspended bicycles.