As the Republican National Convention took place, many were in Cleveland for a major political event. What attendees didn’t know is that they are in the midst of one of the world’s greatest architectural feats to date. The 10-acre Cleveland Public Square was expanded and modernized to incorporate vast green space and unique concrete designs.
The newly overhauled project took a decade of planning and is a destination that is exceptionally walkable and livable. Landscape architects at James Corner Field Operations designed the space. This sleek and modern project includes more than 2 million pounds of custom precast concrete from Tectura Designs.
More than 800 of the nearly 1,200 pieces of concrete in this design were custom shapes. The shapes came from multiple complex molds that were incredibly difficult to make. The largest piece was 9 feet tall and approximately 19,000 pounds. The most unique aspect of this project was that some pieces were precast with radiuses, curves, slanted tops and installed hardware. These pieces moved in every direction possible.
With a team that had a more than 60 years of combined experience, Tectura created a stunning array of massive concrete formations that are equal parts artistic and durable.
Justin Plunkett, furnishing division manager of Tectura Designs, says there was no major challenge to overcome. “On a project of this scale. Not really,” says Plunkett. “The original design was scaled back slightly to assist with logistical issues like transit and installing.” His team learned a few new tricks during the casting process that made the manufacturing process easier.
