Installation of Safeway Supermarket Public Art Project

Safeway Bethesda site construction photo August 22, 2011

Earlier posts on the Washington Glass School Blog featured the design and fabrication of Safeway supermaket's first public art project - located here in Bethesda and created by the Washington Glass Studio.
Installation of the public artwork has begun. The cast glass panels were made from recycled glass taken from the original supermarket during the demolition phase, and the salvaged glass was cast in a bas-relief method to create translucent panels that referenced fresh herbs - perfect for a new LEED Certified building that would house the trendy Safeway supermarket.

Erwin Timmers installs the cast glass & steel panels.

Evan Morgan affixes the glass panels to the steel framework.

Interior view of the artwork - looking out towards Bradley Ave. Bethesda, MD.

The concept of the panels was to have the artwork allow openings to allow the interior and exterior blur - approx 25% of each building bay is open to allow air flow.

Hardware still-life.

Roche Constructors are the builders of the project - and they have a Safeway webcam. Click on the link and at the top is a time-lapse feature that allows one to see the project's demo-to-current construction status. Click HERE to jump to the Roche webcam site.

UPDATE: Click HERE to jump to finished project images.

Production of Cast Art Glass for Public Art Project

Readers of the WGS Blog are familiar with the Public Art Project currently underway for Safeway Supermarket's new LEED Certified building in Bethesda, MD.

Original late 1970's Safeway in Bethesda, MD

being replaced with :

New LEEDs Certified building designed by Rounds VanDuzer Architects

Construction of the steel framework is underway & the kilns have been firing nonstop to make the "herb-leaf" inspired bas-relief kilnformed casting.

Layout sketch of a typical architectural bay.

Erwin Timmers removes the kilnfused glass from the molds.

Matt Duffy & Erwin Timmers check the clarity of the glass (mind you, it must not be too much and not be too little - it needs to be just right.)

Erwin check the glass for evenness of form and to make sure the panels will lay flat within the steel framework.

We will post other photos of the process soon!

UPDATE: Click HERE to jump to photos of finished project.

Matt Duffy joins WGS

Please join us in welcoming our newest member of the Washington Glass Studio staff - Matthew Duffy. Matt will be coordinating the Safeway supermarket public art project for the studio.

Matt looks for the tin side of float glass.

The production of the wall of cast glass panels and installation into the steel framework will take place thru the spring. Next time you are at the studio, be sure to say hey!