Bartle Sky Stations
Bartle Hall Sky Stations
Located in downtown Kansas City, artist R.M. Fischer worked with Zahner to produce the stainless steel and aluminum sculptures which rest upon massive pylons at the intersection of three major highways. After completion in 1994, these four sculptures quickly became icons synonymous with Kansas City’s downtown cityscape.
These sculptures are inspired by 1930s Art Deco style, which can be seen throughout the Municipal Auditorium’s chandeliers and decorative designs at Bartle Hall. The tube frames which form the bases are 18’x40′ in size. The concrete pylons that the sculptures sit atop are 300′ tall. Zahner employed fusion welding, a technique with nuclear plant specifications using aluminum and stainless steel with a #4 Satin finish.
Installation was accomplished by lowering the sculptures from a helicopter, a Sikorsky S-64 Skycrane specifically engineered for heavy lifting.
Zahner played a pivotal role in the entire production of the piece, assisting the artist with budgeting, scheduling, and fabricating,and delivering. This completion of this total solution monumental artwork set the stage for Zahner’s art fabrication initiative; providing a process to produce artworks of various scales and of metal materials on an artist’s budget.
Zahner installers secure each of the Bartle Hall Sky Stations.
R.M. Fischer’s Sky Stations at Night
Panoramic of the Bartle Hall Sky Stations in the Kansas City Skyline.
Interior Artworks
In addition to massive artworks on top of the Bartle Hall, Zahner also completed many of the 48 interior hanging works in the facility for the artist R. M. Fischer. Among the many artworks are a giant clock, and many light fixtures which illuminate the lobbies, pedestrian passageways, and conference center. Not only has Fischer’s art become one of the most talked-about public commissions, but also one of the most recognizable.
Interior artworks, also by R.M. Fischer, at Bartle Hall.
Interior artwork, also by R.M. Fischer, at Bartle Hall.
© Fedora Hat Photography
Photo by Andre Sigur | ARKO
PHOTO © NAHO KUBOTA
Ɱ, Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license, edited.
