Wolfgang Buttress | Vector – The Art of Fabricating

Lucent – by Wolfgang Buttress

Unveiled: May 26, 2015

Location: John Hancock Center – south lobby – Chestnut Street entrance

Commissioned by HEARN, a Chicago-based real estate investment firm.

Concept: Lucent accurately map the stars that can be seen in the Northern Hemisphere from earth with naked eye.

Description: Semi-spherical sculpture made of stainless steel, glass and fiber optic wires.
There is a mirrored ceiling above, creating an illusion of a complete sphere,
and a reflective pool below, giving a sense of infinity.

2015: Lucent – by Wolfgang Buttress

“Lucent”, commissioned by The Hearn Company in 2015, derives its name from the Latin word “lucere” meaning ‘to glow or shine’. Created by Internationally renowned sculptor Wolfgang Buttress, the artwork depicts the 3106 brightest starts in the Northern Hemisphere. Simple and elegant, Lucent measures 14’ in diameter, is fiber optically illuminated, and appears to pulsate as a hand-painted color wheel spins in front of the hidden light source. Through distillation and the integration of engineering and artistry, this Buttress piece arrives at an almost essential form: light, delicate, yet strong. A sense of infinity is implied by the double reflection of water and mirror polished steel.