A Visionary Landmark for the Sunset Strip
For the City of West Hollywood’s Sunset Arts & Advertising Program, developer Orange Barrel Media (OBM) was tasked with creating a globally recognized landmark. Their vision was the Sunset Spectacular: a 67-foot-tall fusion of public art and media, designed by Tom Wiscombe Architecture to redefine the iconic Sunset Strip and deliver a significant return on investment.
To bring the concept to life, OBM needed a specialist stainless steel fabrication partner capable of solving unprecedented geometric complexity and de-risking a project that was initially considered unbuildable.
The Challenge
The project’s core challenge was a fundamental conflict between the architect’s artistic vision and the laws of physics. As initially conceived, the design was non-manufacturable. It required a massive, 100-ton 304L stainless steel monocoque structure with 72 unique, multi-ton panels welded up from plate. The aesthetic demanded sharp, crisp corners, which ruled out press brake forming and forced a weld-intensive approach, leading to several risks:
- Extreme geometric complexity. By design, no two faces were parallel, and every component was asymmetrical with no straight, flat, or square reference surfaces.
- Massive distortion potential. The high volume of welding needed to join the heavy plates created an extreme risk of heat distortion that could warp the components.
- Zero-tolerance field fit-up. The design left no room for error. The 72 “superstructural chunks” fabricated in Ohio had to be shipped 2,300 miles and align perfectly during on-site assembly in West Hollywood.
The Northern Manufacturing Solution
As the fabrication partner, Northern Manufacturing turned a concept others called unbuildable into a manufacturable plan, working within Tom Wiscombe Architecture’s design:
- Collaborative design for manufacturing (DFM). Over months of fabrication planning with Tom Wiscombe Architecture and OBM, our team proposed a novel assembly sequence and tooling concept, how to build the structure rather than what to build, brought to the architect for approval. Tom Wiscombe Architecture held design responsibility; Northern solved how to fabricate it.
- Innovative fixturing and assembly. To guarantee the field fit-up, we built a sophisticated, full-scale fixture in our 160,000 sq ft facility to serve as high-precision scaffolding for the tower’s three main “wings.” Using a Leica AT960 laser tracker, we precisely positioned posts for the fixture, replicating the master BIM model’s XYZ coordinates and holding a positional tolerance of just 0.015 inches over a 60-foot vertical span.
- Advanced welding and finishing. To combat heat distortion, we employed a laser-welding-first strategy to minimize heat input, with the heavier plate joints completed by multi-process welding. For the perforated panels, a Lismac automated deburring machine applied a smooth, safe radius to every opening, mitigating safety risks from sharp edges.
The Outcome
The 72 unique, Ohio-built components were bolted and welded together in California with zero fit-up issues, a testament to the precision of the fixturing and measurement process. The project launched in May 2021 to global acclaim, solidifying the client’s return on investment.
The project’s success was further validated by two awards recognizing the quality and innovation inherent in the process: the 2021 Tekla North America BIM Award for Best Small Project and the 2017 AIA|LA Next LA Honor Award.
Client: Orange Barrel Media (OBM) Industry: Architectural sculpture and digital media Architect: Tom Wiscombe Architecture City: West Hollywood, California
Have a complex fabrication challenge? Northern Manufacturing builds geometrically complex stainless assemblies with laser-tracked fixturing and distortion-controlled welding. Request a quote to start the conversation.
