When it comes to physical size and aesthetics, the Statue of Liberty will soon have a West Coast counterpart.
Venus, a 92-foot stainless steel statue, will highlight a large public piazza in the middle of San Francisco’s Trinity Place.
Created by artist Lawrence Argent, Venus is a modern day interpretation of the Venus de Milo, the armless ancient Greek statue. Venus will be made of 2,500 stainless steel panels seamlessly welded together on site, and it will be unveiled this summer.
“The idea of replicating the Venus de Milo came from a classical idea – an icon – that has been revered and respected for centuries. Venus at Trinity Place became this whirling object manifesting like a genie in a bottle coming out of the ground,” Argent said in a statement.
For scale, Venus is a little shorter than New York’s Statue of Liberty, which stands 111.5 feet as measured from heel to crown.
Venus is part of a larger installation on the piazza at Trinity Place, named C’era Una Volta – “Once Upon a Time.” Other works include a 20-seat marble table, seven-foot glass bollards with sculptures inside, and a nine-foot marble dove.
The one-acre piazza will serve as an outdoor walkway between Market and Mission streets, right next to a 1,900-unit apartment complex.
Owned by San Francisco real estate developer Trinity Properties and opened in 2010, Trinity Place is comprised of four high-rise apartment buildings and 65,000 sf of planned retail space. The development is located in the city’s Mid-Market area, which houses tech giants like Uber, Twitter, and Square.
Related Stories
| Aug 11, 2010
SAFTI FIRST hires Tim Nass as National Sales Manager
SAFTI FIRST, a leading USA manufacturer of fire rated glazing and framing systems, is pleased to announce the addition of Tim Nass as National Sales Manager. In his new role, Tim will be working closely with architects and contract glaziers in selecting the appropriate and most economical fire rated glazing solution for their project. He will also be coordinating SAFTI FIRST’s extensive network of architectural representatives throughout the United States.
| Aug 11, 2010
NCARB welcomes new board of directors
The National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) introduces its Board of Directors for FY10, who were installed during the culmination of the Council’s 90th Annual Meeting and Conference in Chicago.
| Aug 11, 2010
Nonprofit healthcare providers turn to real estate for liquidity and to preserve capital, says Jones Lang LaSalle report
Long considered to be stable investments immune to recession, hospitals and other healthcare facilities are now feeling the effects of a cash-strapped economy as decreased charitable contributions are forcing nonprofit hospitals to pare back and seek new financing sources, according to Jones Lang LaSalle’s 2009 Healthcare Real Estate Financing Outlook.
| Aug 11, 2010
New CertainTeed Gypsum drywall compound reduces airborne dust by more than 70%
CertainTeed Gypsum launches two new revolutionary drywall compounds that significantly reduce the amount of dust traditionally associated with finishing gypsum walls and ceilings. The products—Dust Away Reduced Airborne Dust Drywall Compound and Renovation Mud—join CertainTeed’s Easi-Fil and ProRoc brands of finishing products currently available throughout Canada.
| Aug 11, 2010
Suffolk Construction Company acquires William A. Berry & Son
Suffolk Construction Company, New England’s largest construction company announced today that they have acquired William A. Berry & Son (Berry), the second largest construction company in the region. The two companies, both with deep New England roots and successful track-records, combined will have more than 1,200 employees and projected revenues of $2 billion.
| Aug 11, 2010
Polshek Partnership unveils design for University of North Texas business building
New York-based architect Polshek Partnership today unveiled its design scheme for the $70 million Business Leadership Building at the University of North Texas in Denton. Designed to provide UNT’s 5,400-plus business majors the highest level of academic instruction and professional training, the 180,000-sf facility will include an open atrium, an internet café, and numerous study and tutoring rooms—all designed to help develop a spirit of collaboration and team-oriented focus.
| Aug 11, 2010
University of Florida aiming for nation’s first LEED Platinum parking garage
If all goes as planned, the University of Florida’s new $20 million Southwest Parking Garage Complex in Gainesville will soon become the first parking facility in the country to earn LEED Platinum status. Designed by the Boca Raton office of PGAL to meet criteria for the highest LEED certification category, the garage complex includes a six-level, 313,000-sf parking garage (927 spaces) and an attached, 10,000-sf, two-story transportation and parking services office building.
| Aug 11, 2010
Aslaug Haraldsdottir, Ph.D. receives highest honor from the Society of Women Engineers
The Society of Women Engineers (SWE) is pleased to announce Aslaug Haraldsdottir, Ph.D. as the recipient of the 2009 SWE Achievement Award for accomplishments in Air Traffic Management, communication, navigation and surveillance system design, greatly influencing the future worldwide Air Traffic Management systems.
| Aug 11, 2010
Nonresidential construction will be down 14% in 2009; 17% in 2010, according to FMI report
FMI released its Construction Outlook: Second Quarter 2009 Report, and the outlook isn't good for the nonresidential market. FMI forecasts the market to decline 14% this year, followed by a 17% slide in 2010. FMI says that while the economy is showing some signs of improvement, it is just the beginning of the downfall for nonresidential construction.