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Al Young Studios Newsroom


Turning a vestibule into a focal point

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The commission to create a dome in the vestibule near the main entrance to the house provided some o...
The commission to create a dome in the vestibule near the main entrance to the house provided some of the most
interesting problem-solving opportunities of anything in which the Studios participated during the Cascade
Project.  For one thing, the dome had to fit in a vertical rise of only ten inches, and would be only a couple of feet above
the viewer.

To make it possible to paint the dome at the Studios—instead of having to work upside down aft...
To make it possible to paint the dome at the Studios—instead of having to work upside down after installing it—this
feature was constructed between two sheets of MDF on the workbench.  The top tier (or the bottom, when the
dome was inverted on the workbench) would protect the dome during construction, transit, and installation.
The MDF ribs radiating from the center of the dome were first glued in place onto the upturned top of the dome.
Then the second tier of MDF was fastened to the back of each rib, and a wooden frame was installed behind
the ribs (note the grabbers in the foreground of the next photo).

The basin of the dome, having first been lined with a plastic filament that was hot-glued to each ri...
The basin of the dome, having first been lined with a plastic filament that was hot-glued to each rib, was then lined with
strips of nylon mesh.

Joint compound was worked into the layer of filament and mesh.  And when it was dry, the j...
Joint compound was worked into the layer of filament and mesh.  And when it was dry, the joint compound was sanded
and otherwise prepared for painting.

Al decided to paint the sky into the dome at this point so that he would have maximum and convenient...
Al decided to paint the sky into the dome at this point so that he would have maximum and convenient access
to the perimeter of the dome.  He appears, here, applying the Gesso to the concave surface on which the sky will be
painted.  Vines that are part of the bas relief at the perimeter of the dome have been tied in place to posts that
will be removed during installation.

Once the sky-painting was completed, the dome was covered so that work on its perimeter would not je...
Once the sky-painting was completed, the dome was covered so that work on its perimeter would not jeopardize the painting.

The dome and its perimeter were placed in a protective framework for delivery to the site.
The dome and its perimeter were placed in a protective framework for delivery to the site.

This is the view from the vestibule toward the ceiling of the main entrance to the house.
This is the view from the vestibule toward the ceiling of the main entrance to the house.

In this view from the vestibule into the main entrance, the rope light lining the inner face of the ...
In this view from the vestibule into the main entrance, the rope light lining the inner face of the dome's perimeter
serves as a night-light at the junction of the two halls (not shown) that branch off from the vestibule.

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cascade project

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