Specifying a Sculpture for a Hotel Lobby
Lobby pieces have constraints that garden pieces do not: fixed ceilings, live operations and a delivery route through a finished building.
Abstract Sculpture
304 316L Mirror-Polished Outdoor Decorative Modern Metal Art
304 316L Mirror-Polished Outdoor Decorative Modern Metal Art is a mirror polished 316L stainless steel abstract form built to order in our Shenzhen workshop.
Product Overview
What This Piece Is
304 316L Mirror-Polished Outdoor Decorative Modern Metal Art is a mirror polished 316L stainless steel abstract form built to order in our Shenzhen workshop.
An abstract form carries no fixed subject, so it reads as architecture rather than decoration and dates far more slowly.
316L is the low carbon version of 316, which keeps the weld zone from sensitising on the long continuous seams a large sculpture needs.
A sketch, a render or a dimensioned drawing is enough to start a quotation.
304 316L Mirror-Polished Outdoor Decorative Modern Metal Art produced by Xinhengda Sculpture in Shenzhen
Key Benefits
Why Buyers Specify This Piece
- Made in 316L stainless steel, chosen where long welded seams meet a marine or poolside environment.
- The mirror polished surface picks up sky, planting and passing people, so the piece changes through the day instead of reading as one fixed object.
- An abstract form carries no fixed subject, so it reads as architecture rather than decoration and dates far more slowly.
- Anything about this abstract form that has to change for the position it is going into is settled on the drawing, where changes still cost nothing.
- Fixing points and the anchor pattern for this abstract form are drawn before fabrication, so site work is bolt down rather than improvisation.
Application Scenarios
Where It Is Installed
Placed wherever the drawing puts it, with the base and fixing detail set to suit that position for this abstract form.
Who It Is For
The People Who Order This
- Galleries and trade buyers reselling 316L stainless abstract forms into their own local projects
- Main contractors who need the abstract form, the base plate and the crate quoted as one package
- Private clients commissioning a single mirror polished abstract form for the position it is going into
- Architects matching a abstract form to a material palette that already uses 316L stainless
Problems It Solves
What This Piece Removes From the Project
- On a big piece the welds run for metres. Low carbon 316L keeps those seams as corrosion resistant as the panel beside them.
- A poorly polished mirror surface shows the weld lines and a wavy reflection. Grinding the seams flat before polishing is what removes both.
- Suppliers who subcontract the finishing cannot answer for the surface. The 316L stainless steel here is cut, welded and mirror polished under one roof.
- Getting a abstract form into the position it is going into is usually harder than the design assumed. Access is checked before the piece is built, not on delivery day.
- Off the shelf abstract forms are never the size the position it is going into actually needs, so schemes end up compromised. Making this one to the drawing removes that compromise.
Technical Features
How It Is Constructed
- Continuous developed surface with the panel divisions placed where they follow the form
- Mirror polished by hand through successive grits until the reflection is undistorted across the whole surface
- Fabricated throughout in 316L stainless steel with matching filler where the material is welded
- Base plate and anchor pattern for the abstract form issued as a drawing before the foundation is poured
- Weld seams placed on the lines of the abstract form so they read as edges rather than repairs
Specifications
Recorded Specification
| Material | 316L stainless steel |
|---|---|
| Finish | Mirror polished |
| Form | Abstract Form |
| Category | Abstract Sculpture |
| Size | Quoted per project |
| Minimum Order | Quoted per project |
| Placement | Outdoor |
| Packing | Foam lined plywood crate built to the finished geometry |
| Origin | Shenzhen China |
Dimensions, weight and lead time for this abstract form are confirmed with the quotation, because it is built to your drawing rather than to a abstract sculpture catalogue size.
Materials
What It Is Made From
- 316L stainless steel
- Stainless or galvanised fixings sized for this abstract form and supplied with it
Manufacturing Process
How It Is Made
1
Laser cutting of 316L sheet to the developed pattern
2
Forming and rolling of the panel sections
3
TIG welding with 316L filler across the full seam length
4
Weld dressing and levelling
5
Polishing or texturing to the specified finish
6
Pickling and passivation after all welding is complete
Quality Control
What Is Checked and When
- Incoming sheet grade checked against the order
- Welder qualification matched to the seam type
- Seam length inspected in sections during dressing
- Passivation record kept for the whole piece
- Trial assembly before the crate is built
Customisation Options
What Can Be Changed
- Design developed from your sketch, render or reference photograph
- Finish changed between mirror, brushed and coloured coating on the same abstract form
- Base detail changed between a flush plate, a plinth and a direct planting bed fixing
- The abstract form split into transportable sections where access to the position it is going into is restricted
Comparison
How It Compares With the Alternatives
Compared with Standard 316 stainless steel
Standard 316 is fine on short seams. Where a sculpture is welded almost continuously, 316L keeps the heat affected zone as durable as the rest.
Compared with A general metal fabricator
A fabricator can weld a abstract form but rarely has the polishing capacity. On 316L stainless the surface work is where the piece is won or lost.
Compared with A rented or temporary installation
Rental suits an event. For a permanent position in the position it is going into the cost of two or three rentals already covers a abstract form that stays.
Use Guide
Looking After It Once It Is Installed
- Fresh water rinse on a regular cycle in coastal air
- Neutral detergent wash, then dry the surface
- Keep the base and drainage clear of leaf litter
- No chloride based or abrasive cleaners
- Fingerprints show on a mirror surface. A neutral detergent wash and a dry microfibre cloth is all it takes.
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Guides That Apply To This Piece
Buying Guide
Design Guide
How to Choose the Right Size for a Garden Sculpture
The single most common regret is a piece that is too small. Here is how to get the scale right before anything is fabricated.
Installation Guide
Foundations and Fixings for Outdoor Sculpture
The base plate and the anchor pattern cause more delays on site than anything else. They are also the easiest part to get right in advance.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why 316L stainless steel rather than something cheaper
316L is the low carbon version of 316, which keeps the weld zone from sensitising on the long continuous seams a large sculpture needs. On a big piece the welds run for metres. Low carbon 316L keeps those seams as corrosion resistant as the panel beside them.
Will the mirror finish show the welds
Not if the seams are ground level before polishing starts. Every weld on a mirror piece is dressed flat first, which is why the reflection stays undistorted across the joint.
How is a abstract form this size packed and shipped
A plywood crate is built around the finished geometry with foam on every mirror polished face. Large abstract forms are split into sections at joints chosen during design, trial assembled in the workshop, then marked so they go back together in the same order on site.
What do you need from me to quote
The position, the height or overall size you want, and any drawing, render or reference photograph you already have. For the position it is going into a photograph of the space is often enough to start.
What is the lead time
Lead time depends on the size of the abstract form, the mirror polish and how much design work it needs, so it is confirmed with the quotation rather than promised in advance. Send the brief and the schedule comes back with the price.
Quote This Piece for Your Project
Send the position, the height you want and any drawing you have. The quotation comes back against your figures, not against a catalogue size.