Towers of Steel
Albuquerque's Tricentennial Towers

By Scott Blair

For the city of Albuquerque's 300th anniversary this spring, the mayor's office
was searching for a symbol to reflect the city's urban and cultural development.
At the same time, the city's public arts department was was developing two 65-ft. towers on either side of I-40 to serve as a beacon for they city's artistic old town area.

 

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"Several city officials happened to come by and see the tower designs that the artists were displaying," said Cathy Gore, the arts program manager for the city of Albuquerque. "They thought that the tower designed by Jim Glidden really shined, and would be perfect as the symbol for the tricentennial. The mayor agreed."

The steel towers will be erected at the intersection of the interstate highway and Rio Grande Boulevard, a historic north-south route along the Rio Grande River. Hundreds of pieces of steel, including 1/8-in. to 1/4-in. plate steel and stainless steel, will be crafted into the intricate, steep-sided towers.

The two towers have slightly different designs reflecting various aspects of the city's diverse culture. "The Nature Tower represents those environmental features we enjoy here in Albuquerque, so different shapes are used to signify clouds, the four directions, the Rio Grande River and rainwater," said Christine Glidden, president of High Desert Forge, the Albuquerque-based designer, steel fabricator and erector on the project.

"The Craft Tower represents the old punched tin technique which is centuries old," Christine said. "Taking 1/4-in. steel and trying to make it look like it is punched tin from a quarter mile away while keeping the whole thing consistent and historically accurate is quite a challenge."

Each tower weighs 14-tons and will be partially assembled into three main sections in the fabricator's shop. "We hope to install each tower in a day," said Daniel Gay, president of Albuquerque-based general contractor FacilityBUILD, Inc.

Excavation of the site was delicately performed since the city had recently landscaped the area during a different improvement project. "There were also a lot of utilities nearby so excavation had to be slow and safe," Gay said. "Instead of doing a typical excavation we used hydro-excavation, which is similar to underground boring where you blast water in a particular spot and suck it back up with the dirt in a vacuum truck. It is very precise and noninvasive."

Each concrete foundation is 16-ft. square and 5.5-ft. deep with three mounting pedestals that stick out with structure bolts to attach the towers. Sophisticated LED lighting by local designer Marshall Monroe Magic will illuminate the towers.

The towers will be painted with a synthetic stucco which should resist the elements for the 50 to 100-year life of the piece., though designer Jim Glidden isn't sure of the exact color scheme. "I've never built one of these before! Painting it flat would kill it - it's too new and too clean - there's no drama to it. I'll have to experiment with some dirty brushing techniques to bring some antiquing to it."

The tower installation and fabrication is expected to cost the city just under $1 million, a figure which surprised some in the community. "This is the first monumental piece that we've built in a situation like this, so there were unaddressed concerns such as a foundation, or running electricity under the highway," Gore said. "It wasn't that the work of art got more expensive - it didn't. It was the lack of construction knowledge to set the initial budget. Once the project's done, no one will remember the controversy and it will knock everyone's socks off."

"They represent what is unique about New Mexico, and we hope they give Albuquerque a sense of identity," Christine Glidden said. "There's a lot of public art you could take from one city to another, but this is something that wouldn't work in any other place."

Key Players

Owner: City of Albuquerque
General Contractor: FacilityBuild, Inc
Design: Jim Glidden, High Desert Forge
Steel: High Desert Forge
Lighting Design: Marshall Monroe Magic

 

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