This long-term, temporary site-work is a new iteration (in enameled stainless steel) of a traveling installation that has taken place at 12 sites across the U.S. & Europe. The color is “International Orange”, the same color as San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge.
. Above simulation by the artist.
Five Orange Spheres / The Presidio
©Stuart Williams 2024-2025. All rights reserved.
Powder-coated stainless steel
San Francisco Presidio
PROPOSED INSTALLATION
©Stuart Williams 2024-2025. All rights reserved.
Powder-coated stainless steel
San Francisco Presidio
PROPOSED INSTALLATION
Stainless Steel Spheres: This long-term, temporary installation is set in one of the new meadows at Tunnel Tops in
San Francisco's Presidio. This represents a new iteration (in stainless steel) of Williams’ critically acclaimed
“Five Orange Spheres” project, which has been installed in 12 locations across the U.S. and Europe since the 1980s. Diverse settings have seen the five orbs floating on the moat of a château in France, sprawling across a meadow in New York’s Central Park, and exploring a hillside in an Alpine village in Switzerland.
San Francisco's Presidio. This represents a new iteration (in stainless steel) of Williams’ critically acclaimed
“Five Orange Spheres” project, which has been installed in 12 locations across the U.S. and Europe since the 1980s. Diverse settings have seen the five orbs floating on the moat of a château in France, sprawling across a meadow in New York’s Central Park, and exploring a hillside in an Alpine village in Switzerland.
Like curious wandering ducklings, this lineup of human-size spheres has been on the move visiting both urban and rural locations. The project has been widely published and continues to have a strong presence on-line. Some years ago it appeared in the Bay Area three times... on Telegraph Hill, in Mill Valley and on a hilltop setting in Pacific Heights.
This aerial view indicates the approximate location of the five spheres in one of the new meadows at Tunnel Tops in the Presidio.
A NEW ITERATION for a NEW INSTALLATION
This project’s previous 12 installations were short term temporary installations employing inflatable vinyl spheres. This newly imagined installation (suggested duration 6 to 18 months) employs stainless steel spheres powder-coated with orange enamel. The color is “International Orange,” the same color as San Francisco's iconic Golden Gate Bridge.
The project’s 3 previous realizations in the Bay Area help underscore a compelling connection to the region. Having previously lived in San Francisco for 4 years, the artist maintains a strong tie to the Bay Area with regular visits and a wide network of friends and contacts.
INSTALLATION LOGISTICS
Working with a steel fabricator long experienced in creating large precision-made stainless steel spheres, Williams will oversee the project from conception through completion. Holding a degree in architecture, and with years of experience in public art, Williams is adept at all levels of project management. Upon shipment to the site,each 340 lb. sphere will be securely bolted to a submerged concrete footing in line with an engineer’s working drawings. Upon de-installation the lawn will be fully restored.
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SOME PROJECT HISTORY
Pictured below is one of the 12 previous installations of this “traveling” project...
Pictured below is one of the 12 previous installations of this “traveling” project...
“A triumph of the ephemeral.”
– Panorama Mese, Milan
– Panorama Mese, Milan
“Ohhh... those are beautiful!”
– Andy Warhol
– Andy Warhol
This is an installation of “Five Orange Spheres” that took place on Telegraph Hill in San Francisco many years ago. It utilized inflatable vinyl spheres, unlike the proposed new installation for The Presidio which is employing strong stainless steel spheres, with a powder-coated orange enamel surface to match the color of the Golden Gate Bridge.