Denver Water

Commissioned by leading US art consultancy NINE dot ARTS, we designed two custom sculptures for Denver Water’s new headquarters in Colorado. The first was a huge customized version of Hydra, and the second a giant mirror-polished water droplet.

Design details

Seeking a standout piece for the entrance to the principal building, we worked with our clients on a number of concepts before landing on this large water droplet design, which they felt spoke to the nourishing, life-giving nature of water.

Drawing inspiration from our classic Mantle sculpture, the water droplet was formed from hundreds of mirror-polished steel petals welded together. The interior was finished in a powder-coated blue, but to achieve the desired finish, the team had to split the sculpture into four pieces and then weld them together once the interior had been painted.

The huge Hydra was chosen for its similarities to the sinuous, fluid movement of aquatic plants floating up through water. During the design phase, we decided to customize the piece further by painting the face of each frond in a graduating, ombré effect, ranging from a rich royal blue at the base to a light azure at its peak. This color transition reflects the varying depths of water seen in natural pools.

Large commissions can be a challenge, but our experienced team worked collaboratively with US art consultancy NINE dot ARTS and local contractors to deliver and install both pieces seamlessly.