David Franklin

Reflective Ripple Balconies

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New architectural art installation at Spectra Apartments Redmond, Washington

Reflective Ripple Balconies at Spectra Apartments

Inspiration

  • The inspiration for this project started with a scrap of aluminum from the model for the “Rippling Wall” , the award winning facade of Fire Station 21 In Portland Oregon. This project was the first project I worked on with architect, and professor of architecture at Portland State University, Aaron Whelton.
View of Portland Oregon's Fire Station 21from the Madison Street pier
View of Portland Oregon’s Fire and Rescue Station 21 from the Madison Street pier

The Inspiration

Model for the facade of fire station 21

This is the working model for the facade of the Fire Station 21. Made by Kurt Nordquist at Davinci’s Workshop, my fabricator at the time. More about this project can be found here.

Leftover scrap from making the model for Fire Station 21 in Portland Oregon

This is the leftover scrap of aluminum from building the preliminary model for the Fire Station.

Something about the graphic nature of this scrap seemed to have some potential. Several years later it resurfaced in my mind when Nine Dot Arts brought me this opportunity.

I was contacted by Nine Dot Art Consulting about designing art balconies for a new apartment complex. After attempting a few different approaches this piece of metal came to mind.

With Denise Joseph of Nine Dot Arts, we worked with Brad Machat and Peter van Overbeek of Quarterra. Together we designed the look of the balconies. They were to be fabricated by Advanced Ironworks in Redmond, Washington.

It would take a few versions before settling on the final medium and finish.

Photoshop rendering of the balconies in the twilight
Photoshop rendering of the balconies in the twilight

Modelling

Protype for the finish of the Reflective Ripple balconies

This mirror finished, stainless steel look was what was eventually settled on as perfect approach.

I made a half sized balcony model with he help of Joel Kikuchi at Oxbow Fabrication in Seattle.

Half sized balcony model

Fabrication

Fabrication and final trouble shooting were next. There were several revisions to the graphics to get the panels just right. Finally, we were able to look at the first one, with its protective coating on. The design team met at Advanced ironworks and Peter van Overbeek got to be the first one to try out the balcony.

Inspecting the first balcony at Advanced Ironworks

Installation

By late April 2023 the first few balconies had been installed. By the summer of 2023 all 16 balconies were be up at the beautiful Spectra Apartments near Marymoor Park in Redmond, Washington.

Side view of a selection of balconies at Spectra Apartments
Corner balcony at Spectra Apartments

Thanks to everyone who helped make this project a reality.

David Franklin

How to Succeed at Public Art When Everything Goes Wrong

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Iron worker installing ripple panel.
Iron worker prepares to lift section of the rippling wall.

Please take a look!

The Americans for the Arts ARTS blog asked to write about the Rippling Wall public art project.  I figured enough time had passed to tell this story.  You can enjoy it  here.  For those of you who worked on the project, or were close to it I am sure you will remember well. Enjoy!

David Franklin

Thank You to the Regional Arts and Culture Council Portland, Oregon

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view of the rippling wall from the Hawthorne Bridge Portland Oregon
Portland Oregon’s Fire Station 21 on the east bank of the Willamette River from the historic Hawthorne Bridge.

This is a great article about public art in Portland, Oregon, take a look. Percent-for-Art: a point of pride in Portland  Portland’s Regional Arts and Culture Council is one of the best organizations I have ever been fortunate enough to work with.  The Rippling Wall project for Fire Station 21 on the East Bank of the Willamette was a dream come true for me, and there are very few metropolitan arts organizations that would take a risk on someone like me for a project like this.  Not only did they embrace me and my work but have helped the project gain national attention.  For this I can never say thanks enough,  especially to Peggy Kendellen and Keith Lachowicz, who were a huge help to me.  Peggy Kendellen is  on of the best project managers an artist could work with.

The organization’s 30th anniversary is approaching and they have a number of exciting events planned, please take some time to check out the article and see what impact a really great art organization can have on a community and its creative people.  Here is a link to their newsletter Art Notes July 2015 

 

Rippling Wall Receives Public Art Network Year in Review Award

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Fire Fighters in front of Fire Station 21 Portland Oregon
Fire Fighters in front of Fire Station 21 Portland Oregon

THere was  bit of good news this week for The Rippling Wall project at Fire Station 21 in Portland Oregon.  It was honored with a Public Arts Network Year in Review award which can be viewed here, by Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education.  Their budget number is a bit off in their entry, my budget was a fraction of that and the building cost much more so I don’t know where that came from.

This year The Rippling wall was recognized as one of 31 outstanding public arts projects created in 2014 by the Public Art Network (PAN) Year in Review program, the only national program that specifically recognizes the most compelling public art. The works were chosen from more than 300 entries across the country and were presented  Americans for the Arts’ 2015 Annual Convention in Chicago.

Check out the other incredible public artwork that was selected here.

This project could not have been done without Kurt Nordquist of Davinci’s Workshop, or Arron Whelton  and Whelton Architecture, who designed the building and worked closely with me on my project, a great team.  Peggy Kendellen of Portland’s Regional Arts and Culture Council was amazing to work with as well.

Portland Fire and Rescue Chief Erin Janssens,  Deputy Chief Marco Benetti, Station Captian Marty Getsch and all the firefighters at the station were great to work with too.  Connie Johnson was the project manager with the City of Portland, David Dwyer with Skanska was, the contractor, and Ian Eikanas with KPFF engineered the project.

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Portland Fire and Rescue Station 21Video

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Portland Fire and Rescue put together this very nice video about the new Fire Station 21 on the East Bank of the Willamette in downtown Portland Oregon adjacent to the historic Hawthorne Bridge.  Please take a look, it is very well done, and is a great overview of the project. The narration is from the great dedication speech by Portland Fire Chief Erin Janssens.

Portland Fire and Rescue Station 21 Grand Opening

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Friday March 6, 2015 was the open house for Portland, Oregon’s Fire Station 21 named for former Commissioner Randy Leonard.  Both he and Fire Chief Erin Janssens spoke about the successful bond measure that funded the station, and Station Captain Marty Getch and his great crew that man it. She also spoke about the great team that worked so hard to build the station, which I was fortunate to be a part of.

Also in attendance was current Commissioner Dan Saltzman, the team at Whelton Architecture Aaron Whelton, David Suttle, and Mollie Buhrt who designed such an amazing facility and were instrumental in helping me with my project.  Connie Johnson the project manager with the City of Portland, David Dwyer with Skanska, the contractor, Ian Eikanas with KPFF the project engineer, were there, as well as Peggy Kendellen from the Regional Arts and Culture Council who was my teammate and ally through the process.   Kurt Nordquist, of Davinci’s Workshop was also in attendance, who is my good friend and fabricator extraordinaire.

Portland Fire and Rescue Chief Erin Janssens addressing the crowd at the open house for Fire Station 21
Portland Fire and Rescue Chief Erin Janssens addressing the crowd at the open house for Fire Station 21

Fire Fighters in front of Fire Station 21 Portland Oregon
Fire Fighters in front of Fire Station 21 Portland Oregon

Former Commissioner Randy Leonard, Commissioner Dan Saltzman, Chief Erin Janssens Deputy Chief Marco Bennetti, project manager Connie Johnson, and the team from Whelton Architecture
Former Commissioner Randy Leonard, Commissioner Dan Saltzman, Chief Erin Janssens Deputy Chief Marco Bennetti, project manager Connie Johnson, and the team from Whelton Architecture

The plaque at Fire Station 21 Portland Oregon
The plaque at Fire Station 21 Portland Oregon

Fire Station 21 Dock Gate

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The last Piece of the Fire Station 21 project is up. It is a brand new dock gate at the Madison St. Pier on the East bank of the Willamette River in Portland, Oregon. It also shares the ripple treatment similar to the Rippling Wall, the facade of the station, but serves the purpose of being a fully functional security gate to protect access to the new boathouse and rescue boats used by the firefighters at Portland Fire and Rescue Station 21.

.Metal gate with rippling pattern artwork on dock Dock gate with rippling pattern artwork, Portland in background