Relias Tree Sculpture

The architects of a new office building wanted to represent the growth of the company with an integral multilevel sculpture.  Each “branch” of this tree canopy represents each individual employee and further exemplifies the necessity of each member to the overall operation and success of the whole.  The canopy starts on the ground floor by the entry, grows up a black locust tree trunk, and starts sprawling over the second floor.  It reaches across the second floor lobby, and continues growing up three more flights of stairs, ending at the top floor by the executive suite offices.

This sculpture spans four stories and is comprised of 8,500 parts.  The material is solid poplar, suspended by steel structure anchored into the ceilings.  Each part was fabricated in our shop, and installed in the finished building by a team of four individuals, without the use of electric hoists.

Location : Raleigh, NC

Collaborators : Gensler