Pillars of Industry

Date: 2004

Dimensions: Bronze Pillar: 120”x28”x34”; Iron Pillar: 138”x28” diameter; Steel Pillar: 144”x40”x16”

Media: Cast bronze, cast iron, cast stainless steel

Commissioned by: City of Everett

These columnar sculptures were created to complement the formal garden designed by ZGF Architects for the entrance of the Everett Station. They represent the three primary phases of industrial development of the City of Everett, dating back to the very early mining, logging and railroad building of the 19th Century (Bronze Pillar), through the "smokestack” period of mills and factories of much of the 20th Century (Iron Pillar), to the aviation and high-tech industries of recent years (Steel Pillar). The sculptures are lit from within at night, and the Bronze and Iron Pillars have extensive text visible on their interior walls.

The Pillars of Industry at the Everett Station

Three sculptural columns in bronze, iron and stainless steel stand in the garden of the Everett Station.

The Pillars of Industry at the Everett Station

Each column references a different period in Everett industrial history.

The Bronze Pillar at Everett Station

The unique cast bronze column refers to the wooden railroad trestles and shingle mills of the 19th and early 20th Centuries.

The Cast Iron Pillar at the Everett Station

The unique cast iron column refers to the "smokestack era" of Everett, when pulp mills operated along the waterfront.

The Steel Pillar at the Everett Station

The unique cast stainless steel column references Everett's aviation and high tech industries experiencing growth in the 21st Century.

The Steel Pillar at the Everett Station detail

Computer circuitry is illustrated "emerging" from an airplane wing at the top of the cast stainless steel column sculpture.

The Pillars of Industry at the Everett Station

A view from inside the Everett Station down into the garden shows the columnar sculptures from above.