The Making of the Nebula: A Beautiful and Soothing Art Installation
Summary
Ruben Margoli is a professional artist and musician who was commissioned to create a suspended kinetic artwork for the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Texas. The artwork, called the Nebula, was designed to fit into the hotel’s atrium, which was undergoing major renovations at the time. Margoli spent months thinking about how to make a sculpture that was both dramatic and meditative, while also fitting the space and pulling out elements that were already in the atrium. He ultimately decided to create a sculpture that was reminiscent of natural beauty, with sweeping forms that reflected the movements of birds, waves, and trees. Margoli worked with engineers and fabricators to create a complex cable net that could support the weight of the Nebula, which is made up of thousands of bicycle reflectors arranged in a wave pattern to create a sparkling, twinkling effect under different lighting conditions. The final sculpture weighs 11,000 pounds and hangs over people’s heads in the atrium, making safety a top concern.
Table of Contents
- How did you come up with the concept for the Nebula?
- How did you design the sculpture to fit into the hotel’s atrium?
- What kind of materials did you use to create the Nebula?
- How did you work with engineers and fabricators to bring your design to life?
- What are some of the challenges you faced while making the Nebula?
- What are you most excited about when it comes to the Nebula installation?
How did you come up with the concept for the Nebula?
Margoli was invited to participate in a competition to design a suspended kinetic artwork for the Hilton Anatole in Dallas, Texas. He spent several months thinking about how to create a sculpture that was both dramatic and meditative, while also fitting the space and pulling out elements that were already in the atrium. Margoli ultimately decided to create a sculpture that was reminiscent of natural beauty, with sweeping forms that reflected the movements of birds, waves, and trees. He wanted to create a sculpture that would be both soothing and dynamic to look at.
How did you design the sculpture to fit into the hotel’s atrium?
Margoli spent months thinking about how to make a sculpture that was both dramatic and meditative, while also fitting the space and pulling out elements that were already in the atrium. He wanted to create a sculpture that would reflect the movements of birds, waves, and trees, so he decided to create a wave pattern that rolled through a geometric pattern made up of hexagonal diamonds. He elongated the design of a previous sculpture to create the Nebula and added more cables to maintain fluidity. Margoli also worked with engineers and fabricators to create a complex cable net that could support the weight of the sculpture, which weighs 11,000 pounds.
What kind of materials did you use to create the Nebula?
Margoli used thousands of bicycle reflectors to create the Nebula. The sculpture consists of 4,500 hexagonal diamond shapes, each made up of three bicycle reflectors and a custom aluminum cone that is anodized gold. The sculpture also includes a complex cable net that was designed to support the weight of the Nebula and maintain its fluidity.
How did you work with engineers and fabricators to bring your design to life?
Margoli worked closely with Gizmo and Mark Zabatino in San Francisco, who own a fabrication shop. They introduced Margoli to an engineer named Michael Prattis who helped design the cable net that would support the weight of the Nebula. Margoli used math to calculate the various cable lengths and pulley angles necessary to create the sculpture. He also spent months figuring out the easiest way to physically create the three-dimensional weave that gives the Nebula its movement.
What are some of the challenges you faced while making the Nebula?
Creating the Nebula was a complex process that involved a number of challenges. Margoli had to figure out how to create a sculpture that would be both dramatic and meditative, while also fitting into the hotel’s atrium and pulling out elements that were already there. He also had to work with engineers and fabricators to create a complex cable net that could support the weight of the sculpture, which weighs 11,000 pounds. Creating the three-dimensional weave that gives the sculpture its movement was also a challenge, as was figuring out the best materials to use.
What are you most excited about when it comes to the Nebula installation?
Margoli is most excited about seeing the Nebula installed in the hotel’s atrium. The sculpture is designed to create a soothing, meditative atmosphere while also reflecting the movements of birds, waves, and trees. Margoli is excited to see how the sculpture will look under different lighting conditions, as well as how it will interact with the other art installations in the atrium. Safety is also a top concern, since the sculpture weighs 11,000 pounds and hangs over people’s heads.
