Artistry

During the design phase for the Alliance Theatre Transformation, Trahan embarked on an artistic collaboration with renowned sculptor Matthias Pliessnig. This process elevated the shaping and tectonics of the chamber and lobby. The steam bending process perfected by Matthias allowed the architect to combine the precise digital modeling required by the acoustician, with the craftsmanship and beauty of the design vision. This collaborative process produced acoustically tuned forms that amplifies the artistry performed on the stage.

Throughout his career, DeMoss’s work has echoed his early affinity for the Classical aesthetic. Often using the fragmented form, DeMoss’ subject matter ranges from the figure to Biblical allegory, from abstract to narrative. For St. Jean Vianney Church, DeMoss created bronze elements that are highly personal and site specific. The doors that grace the entry way are created from objects parishioners pressed into the form work on site. As the doors age they have become a living time capsule marking the spiritual threshold.

We were inspired by the legacy of Saint Ignatius and his isolation for prayer and penance in a cave to create a form that expressed his journey, seeking solitude in nature toward the sublime. We were drawn to a Japanese Artist, Genta Ishizuka, who embeds natural objects in chance compositions resulting in smooth, shiny lacquer sculptures. By studying Genta’s process, we cast balloons of various sizes in concrete, to produce a series of textured intersecting cave-like volumes that shape the light, shadow, and composition of the chapel building.