Forest
Lights
A large wall facade and three sculptural towers incorporating dichroic glass, fabricated and installed for artist Catherine Widgery at the Oregon Zoo.
One artwork operating at architectural and sculptural scales.
Forest Lights combines a large wall facade with three freestanding towers, using layered structural elements and dichroic glass to interact with changing daylight and the surrounding landscape.
LostMachine Design provided fabrication and installation services for Catherine Widgery’s artwork. The project required repeated fabricated components, integration of delicate dichroic glass elements, full-scale assemblies and field installation within an active zoological environment.
Facade, towers and changing light.
Repeated structure, individual glass elements and full-scale assemblies.
Wall facade
The facade uses a dense field of repeated structural members to create a large architectural surface. Fabrication required consistency across many individual elements while preserving the irregular visual rhythm of the artist’s design.
Three sculptural towers
Three freestanding vertical structures extend the visual language of the facade into the landscape, requiring fabrication as independent structural assemblies and coordination for field installation.
Dichroic glass
Dichroic glass components introduce changing color and reflected light. Their integration required careful coordination between the fabricated structure and the more delicate optical elements.
Questioning a costly structural solution.
During development, the initial engineered structural approach resulted in an estimated stainless material cost of approximately $37,000. Based on fabrication experience and an engineering background, Andy Tibbetts identified the specification as an area worth revisiting and recommended an additional engineering review.
A revised engineered solution reduced the estimated stainless material cost to approximately $11,500 while retaining a professionally engineered structural design.
Estimated stainless material cost after engineering review. LostMachine does not provide stamped structural engineering; when required, the work is coordinated with licensed engineers.
Working inside an active zoo.
The Oregon Zoo remained a functioning public and animal-care environment during installation. LostMachine’s crew carried out the field work with special care to minimize disturbance to the animals while coordinating movement, assembly and installation of large fabricated components.
The installation plan had to respond not only to the artwork and architecture, but to the living environment around it.
Complex artwork in a complex site.
Forest Lights demonstrates LostMachine’s role as a fabrication partner: execute the artist’s work accurately, understand the consequences of material and structural decisions, and coordinate the technical work needed to move from design through installation.
LostMachine Design works with artists and studios on ambitious physical work requiring fabrication, technical development, logistics and installation.
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