Athenaeum Artwork Foundations

Designed for placement as urban art adjacent to The Athenaeum in downtown Indianapolis, this contemporary and functional sculpture was designed to embody a sense of welcome for all. Our structural engineers worked with the artist to develop the internal structure of the piece to assure its durability in this highly visible and high-traffic location. Because of required cutouts in the horizontal framing members to facilitate dramatic internal lighting and translucent polycarbonate color bars, careful attention was needed to assure sufficiently rigid connections could be made to result in a stable structure, which houses weather-resistant mini library cabinets. Our engineers took into account the very accessible nature of the work and considered potential loading conditions above and beyond typical code requirements to provide a safe and stable work. The end result is a vivid and welcoming space in the heart of the city.