There is a new centerpiece in Terminal 2 at Raleigh-Durham International (RDU).
“Triplet,” a sculpture by Ed Carpenter, greets arriving and departing passengers in the terminal’s central atrium.
The atrium’s opening and the installation of “Triplet” is one of the final milestones for the airport authority before the terminal is finished Jan. 23.
There are two themes behind the design of the terminal, and both are captured in the piece: handmade and mind made. There is also glass, wood and steel – the three major components of the building.
“My goal was to create a piece that people from this region can take pride in,” Carpenter says. “I want each person who views it to identify it with home, knowing it’s what they see when they are preparing to leave for a trip and when they are returning home.”
The sculptures refined, hand-finished materials are reminders of North Carolina’s reputation for craftsmanship. Wood masts, tipped with dichroic glass and LED lighting, are suspended from stainless steel cables. The sculpture creates triangular forms on the ceiling and floor that are reflective of the Research Triangle Region.
Carpenter says he knew he wanted light to be a major component of the piece, which gives a different view depending on where the viewer is standing. The piece uses dichroic glass and is 10 feet, 8 inches high. The weight of the longest mass is 450 pounds, and each mast is hollow.
The terminal will feature eight pieces of art, 36 boarding gates and 10 security checkpoint lanes when finished.
The first phase of the terminal opened Oct. 28, and construction of the second and final phase began immediately afterward. When completed, the terminal will be the largest construction project in the airport authority’s history.
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