Salt Lake City International Airport | Salt Lake City, UT | Installation 2024
Aluminum tubing, Fabric | 27’H x 105’7”L x 5’D
Four years after the Airport Redevelopment Program was announced, plans for an additional concourse north of the existing terminal at the Salt Lake City International Airport were published. The new North Concourse would help accommodate forecasted growth in passenger traffic and replace aging facilities by adding 30 gates in two phases.
“Aligned with our other resources, the airport is a key economic driver for our city and state,” Salt Lake City Mayor Jacqueline Biskupski said. “This addition is essential in building a state-of-the-art facility to help attract more business and tourism dollars, and completely in line with my plan for robust economic development. We are on track to making the entire experience more efficient and pleasant for everyone.”
The designs for this new state-of-the-art concourse include additional installations by Gordon Huether. To create a cohesive experience for airport patrons, Gordon incorporated structural art features that resemble his installations The Canyon and The Falls in the main terminal. Canyon 2.0 is an extension of The Canyon in the new north concourse and applies the same organic movement to the walls as the original installation. Northern Light draws on elements of The Falls and incorporates the same colorful light interactions as the 65-foot-tall escalator well sculpture.
Fabrication for Canyon 2.0 is complete with anticipated installation in 2024. Northern Light is currently being fabricated in partnership with Sebastian Willeke in Germany. Sebastian, who has worked with Gordon for 25 years, will fabricate Northern Light out of 500 glass rods, hand-drawn by the same artist who created the glass rods used in The Falls, and 300 dichroic glass panels. The framework holding the half-sphere structure together is made of stainless steel and weighs 3.1 tons including the weight of the glass. The Airport Redevelopment Program’s architecture firm, HOK, was required to make special reinforcements to the wall in the North Concourse where this installation will be placed in order to support it. Installation of Northern Light is expected in 2024 as well.
Organic Glass Rods, Pyrex Rods, Dichroic Glass Fins | 18’ Diameter x 4’ Deep
Gordon Huether’s Northern Light sculpture will illuminate the new North Concourse at Salt Lake City International Airport, as part of the visionary Airport Redevelopment Program’s expansion. This expansion, designed to handle increased passenger traffic and upgrade infrastructure, promises an immersive experience for travelers.
Inspired by his acclaimed installations, The Canyon and The Falls, featured in the main terminal, Gordon seamlessly integrates his signature style into the new concourse.
Northern Light, located at the far end of Canyon 2.0—an extension of The Canyon—pays homage to The Falls, harnessing the same vibrant hues and dynamic light interactions as the 65-foot-tall escalator well sculpture, evoking the same sense of awe and wonder.
Constructed from 500 hand-drawn glass rods, crafted by the same artist behind The Falls, and 300 dichroic glass panels, Northern Light is supported by a stainless steel framework weighing 5,000 pounds. Special reinforcements were made by the architecture firm HOK to support the installation on the North Concourse wall. Installation is under way and will be completed in May 2024.
