A towering new public art installation has taken shape at Pittsburgh International Airport.
The work, titled “Open Columns 2025” by artist Patrick Marold, was installed earlier this week between the Terminal Garage and the new terminal. Marold’s creation consists of three Corten and stainless steel columns ranging in height from about 20 to 40 feet.
Corten is a type of weathering steel designed to develop a stable, rust-like surface when exposed to the elements. The same material can be seen on the U.S. Steel Tower in Downtown Pittsburgh.
Visitors will be able to enter the “Open Columns” structures and look upward, experiencing a visual interplay of reflective bands that appear to dissolve into the sky.
Airport officials say the installation represents more than a new piece of public art. It is intended to serve as a symbol of arrival and a reflection of the airport’s broader effort to connect travelers with the Pittsburgh region’s culture and identity.
Marold’s artwork is part of the Art in the Airport program, a multiyear initiative that has integrated art throughout the airport campus as part of the construction of the new terminal, which opened in November of last year.
The Allegheny County Airport Authority partnered with local and national artists to create site-specific works for the terminal and surrounding campus. In total, 16 artists were commissioned to contribute pieces designed to give passengers a stronger sense of place and connection to the region.
Officials said the transformed airport is intended to reflect both the natural landscape and industrial heritage of Western Pennsylvania while creating a more engaging experience for travelers.
The Art in the Airport program includes installations at 30 locations across the airport campus, with most works created by artists from the Pittsburgh region.
As travelers pass through the airport, officials hope the artwork will provide a distinctive introduction to the region before they even leave the terminal.
Marold, who is based in Colorado, has spent more than two decades creating works that explore the relationship between people and the physical environment. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, he is known for large-scale public installations that connect viewers with landscape, light and space.
His previous projects include “Shadow Array,” a seven-acre installation at Denver International Airport, and “Solar Drones,” a sky and sound work at Canada’s National Music Centre.
Airport officials said “Open Columns 2025” embodies the vision behind the new terminal project, where infrastructure, architecture and public art work together to create a memorable experience for millions of travelers expected to pass through Pittsburgh International Airport each year.
Be First to Comment