Lido Peninsula Abstraction

The Design

We cut the section through the 3 story live-work model and something was missing. We stood back from it and honestly felt like the slender building was anything but bland, however this section proved otherwise. The 2 story spaces that flanked the building were strong, however the middle needed something. A sprawling 2 story piece of art just as strong as the 2 story volumes themselves.

Every project has a locale. A place. A shape to it. And one of the most fascinating parts of Newport Beach for me is the Lido Peninsula. And since this property is there, we decided to celebrate it’s location, but not in such an obvious way. Our client is international. On any given day they could be in any major city in the world. So, when someone walks into this place, we wanted to give them a sense of where they are. Just not in the obvious manner of a street sign.

Design presentation graphic to client.

I sketched some lines on trace. Sketched a few more. Printed out the Google map of the neighborhood. Sketched some more. Looked at the building section and realized we had two surfaces we could play with to make this artwork transcend both floors of the residence.

The art piece was not the focus of our design presentation. It was really just there as a bonus design feature. But towards the end our client asked, “What’s this?” pointing towards the linework on the building section.

The ensuing months were spent sketching linework compositions that drew from the minor neighborhood blocks on the Lido Peninsula. Gave them heights or depths off the wall and figured out the size steel rod that should be used. Came up with multiple attachment methods by consulting one of my architect mentors and friend Damon. All the while bouncing ideas off of the potential fabricator Cole.

Detailing sketches.

Team collaboration and finished fabrication drawings.

The Fabrication

We worked with a great local fabricator Cole to figure out just how in the world we’d fabricate and attach these steel tubes to the wall in a minimalist attachment. The result is awesome. Dedication to detail and staying true to the drawings is a great asset of Cole’s. The individual pieces of the fabrication ended up providing for some challenges each stage of the way… welding, powder coating and delivery.

The fabrication process.

The Install

A feat in and of itself. Wiggling and bending and attaching. We got it done.

I love this piece, you cannot fully experience it by just standing in one spot. You cannot even see the whole thing from one spot. You have to walk it. From the kitchen, up the stairs and from the 3rd floor loft. Painting in a bronze metallic, it subtly highlights the warm grey textures throughout.

Architecture can be so finite. So precise. And then you engage in the unknown. Work to surround yourself with a team that is willing to explore that unknown. And then we all go for it. Thank you to our client who saw the fun in creating something one of a kind.

Alternate title: “…a crown from Where The Wild Things Are”

Credits:
Artist: William Itzen
Fabricator: Cole McLaughlin

The crown.

Up and down.