One of the hottest trends over the past decades has been the installation of large natural world inspired art pieces in public facilities, commercial buildings, shopping centers and in homes large and small. From sculpture to mosaics to murals to fountains to light shows to aquariums to mobiles and more, these pieces are beautiful to behold and impart their own sense of energy and happiness that draw us to them.
At Helfrich & Associates, as structural engineers, we know the installation and maintenance of these large art gems requires some careful behind the scenes work. Many of these bigger than life art pieces, as opposed to hanging a medium size picture on a wall, will require some expert, professional planning to ensure what goes up stays up, looks as the artist intended and will be maintainable and sustainable over time in their indoor, outdoor or sheltered spaces.
For example, Helfrich & Associates recently performed the installation structural calculations for a majestic butterfly fantasy mosaic that is going up on the side of the Adams Recreation Center in San Diego. We came up with a rugged support system designed to ensure this beautiful multi-piece tile mosaic was attached properly to the building so it doesn’t fall down in the wind or rain or over time. Safety is always important, but especially in public spaces where children, seniors and people of all ages are present, engaged with the art and are likely to want to touch it if something is in reach.
Kim Emerson, of Kim Emerson Mosaics LLC, is the talented artist who created this beautiful mosaic entitled, “Kaleidoscope of Butterflies.” It features two Monarch Butterflies and other fantasy butterflies to inspire all of us to soar to our full human potential in life. It is a reminder that we all go through periods of change, learning and development that allow us to expand our horizons. Understanding the growth cycle of butterflies illustrated by the metamorphosis of caterpillars into beautiful butterflies helps us navigate through life’s ups, downs and detours as we grow from childhood into mature adults. We also are meant to live in community as this butterfly does–especially in winter.
This colorful art piece’s design is actually made up of a multiple “fantasy” of multi-colored butterflies produced with thousands of small hand-cut and hand-placed mosaic tiles. It will float on a prominent, high-traffic area outdoor wall where everyone will see it frequently. It’s 9-feet high by 18-feet long and comes in multiple sections and in total weighs over one-hundred pounds. It is a tile mosaic full of brilliant fantasy butterfly colors contrasting with the orange, black, white and gray colors depicting the Monarch butterfly, which migrates annually from west of the Rocky Mountains to the California coast.
These gorgeous butterflies spend the winter months starting in November until February along the California west coast to avoid the freezing cold temperatures elsewhere in the west. Pismo State Beach hosts one of the nation’s largest over wintering congregations, varying in numbers from 20,000 to 200,000. On sunny winter days, Monarchs will fly away from their swarms in sheltering trees, searching for nourishment in flower nectar and water to drink.
When installing large art pieces such as this one, there are many considerations, but let’s start with some of the basics that you’ll need to know if you’re considering a large art project: (1) Is the location indoors, outdoors or under covered outdoor spaces (large pavilions or home patios), (2) overall dimensions, (3) the weight, (4) vertical or horizontal mounting, (5) supporting structures such as pedestals or platforms, (5) water, lighting and/or electrical requirements, etc.
In many cases, your existing interior or exterior walls will require bulking up to hold the weight. Patio decks can need extensions or additional underground supports or extra drainage due to the weight of sculptures and to prevent sinking or corrosion. Large fountains or streams require commercial piping, bigger recirculating pumps and perhaps separate electrical systems and also can include special lighting. The artist may be familiar with these requirements, but they are artists first and always–and not engineers familiar with materials, building codes, etc.
At Helfrich Associates, our long and broad experience as structural engineers with commercial buildings, single family homes and condominiums, can help provide you with all the right answers up front to these often complex questions that come up when installing large scale art pieces. For example, will you need a building permit, are there local signage regulations or HOA covenant restrictions, how about potential business or homeowner insurance requirements for coverage?
Let us help you make sure the extraordinary, dreamy custom designed piece of art that you are commissioning from the artist or buying from a gallery will look as great when installed at home or in your office building as it did on a design board or when finished at the studio before delivery. You’ll sleep better in the long run knowing it was installed right the first time and built to last for many trouble-free years of enjoyment.