Initial Design Rendering showing the preliminary concept and design for the space

Due to the necessity of a Class A fire rating, 3form opted for a digital print laminated glass feature with a Powder D03 diffusion layer using 1/4" gauge, low-iron, laminated glass panels. A known caveat of the material decided on is that half-lap joinery used to conceal light leakage for a seamless backlit feature is not achievable with glass. Additionally, because of the potentiality of future seismic activity, the Fire Marshall required a gap between each panel to allow for sway and movement, causing some light leakage at the seams. This could be remedied and more concealed using foam filler, but this was ultimately decided against due to the shadow it can cast on a backlit feature.

Our Digital Print Team worked closely with artist Stephen Galloway to create a custom piece that showcased the iconic buildings surrounding the underground transit station as if you were looking up through a skylight. The round image was made to have a fish-eye aesthetic, as if you were looking through a lens. A tile effect was also added to the image, creating more depth and layers to the artwork. This tile design pays homage to the well-known tilework utilized throughout the station as it continues to carry its cohesion through the modernization initiative.

Our Engineering Team dove into the project to determine the best solution for hanging the ceiling feature. Using Unistrut with threaded rods, they produced a solution for hanging multiple large items, including the reflective panels used to house the 3fit White LED lighting element and the laminated glass panels. The threads were then connected to our Spider XT Joint and Point Support hardware.

The lighting scope was to provide illumination to the 195" diameter circular ceiling feature using a direct backlighting technique with a 6" cavity for proper illumination. One of the benefits of choosing 3form's 3fit Lighting is that all lighting is assembled by 3form engineers and tested at our factory for a 24-hour burn test to mitigate any issues that may arise before the product is shipped for field installation.

After the Fire Marshall and the end users approved everything, High Point Acoustic was contracted to carry out the installation and collaborated with our Project Managers to ensure a proper and easy installation. 3form provided the templates for the installers, which were vital to this installation's success, consisting of multiple layers of hardware and product for accuracy. The 3form's Fabrication Team laser-cut all the hardware holes in each panel to align with the templates. From there, the installers could lay the template and material on the ground and shoot a laser up to the to the ceiling to get the measurements and pick points for proper placements of their Unistrut, threaded rods, and hardware.