RDU Airport, NC – The Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority this week introduced the centerpiece of Terminal 2. Triplet, a sculpture by artist Ed Carpenter, is featured in the terminal’s central atrium, which greets arriving and departing passengers.
With the opening of the central atrium and the installation of Triplet, the Airport Authority has reached one of the last milestones before the terminal is completed on January 23.
The piece captures the two themes behind the design of the terminal: handmade and mind made. It also incorporates glass, wood and steel, which are the three major components of the building.
The sculpture features refined, hand-finished materials as reminders of North Carolina’s legacy of craftsmanship. Wood masts, tipped with dichroic glass and LED lighting, are suspended from stainless steel cables. The sculpture creates triangular forms on the ceiling and floor that suggest the Research Triangle Region. View Photos.
From the beginning, Carpenter knew he wanted light to be a major component of the piece. The effect is a different experience depending upon the vantage point of the viewer.
“My goal was to create a piece that people from this region can take pride in,” said Carpenter. “I want each person who views it to identify it with home, knowing it’s what they see when they are preparing to leave for a trip and when they are returning home.”
When completed, the terminal will feature eight pieces of art, 36 boarding gates and 10 security checkpoint lanes. It will also be home to seven of the airport’s 10 major airlines.
The first phase of the terminal opened on October 28. Construction on the second and final phase began immediately after the opening. With the completion of the terminal, the Airport Authority will complete the largest construction project in its history.
Facts about Triplet at RDU
The piece uses dichroic glass, which has many thin layers of oxides built into it, creating a special quality that affects the color and light of the piece.
Before installing the piece, artist Ed Carpenter worked with computer and physical models to determine the exact order of installation of the masts.
Height from the floor: 10′ 8”
Weight of the longest mast: 450 lbs.
Each mast is hollow.