Omaha
Botanical Garden's Welcoming Center
Omaha, Nebraska
The Omaha Botanical
Gardens unveiled their new Visitor and Education Center
in October, 2001.
Spencer Crews, Executive Director, commissioned three
custom light fixtures for the new building.
The first, a copper fern basket, was installed inside the
welcoming gazebo, the main entrance to the building.
The other two are ten and a half feet lanterns which were
hung in the main Floral Display Hall.
Copper
Fern Chandelier
The
Copper Fern Basket is
comprised of individually cut and chaised
leaves that were heated, contoured, and
fastened to the steel basket infrastructure.
The
exterior steel frame work and hangers
were forged from mild steel.
This
basket measures 5 feet in diameter and
is 32 inches high. It weighs 450 pounds.
Original Sketch
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Eight Sided Octagonal
Lanterns
Photo: Lorelei Sims
Original Sketch
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Dr.
John and I fabricated the 2 octagonal frames from
my
design. Each structure has 2 hinged access doors
and a
separate cap was attached during installation.
Each panel holds a hand-poured glass pane.
The
botanical elements were all created using
plasma cutting, welding, forging, and fabricating
mild steel.
The
flora represented are
Compass Plant, Big Blue Stem,
Indian Grass, Wild Indigo
Purple Cone Flower,
Prairie Brome, Partridge Pea
and Bird's Foot Violet.
Photo: Lorelei Sims
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