50 Hudson Yards

Designed by Foster + Partners, 50 Hudson Yards features a monumental lobby space anchored by three bespoke artworks by American artist Frank Stella. The installations include two dynamic sculptural works integrated into the lobby, as well as Stella’s interlocking star sculpture, positioned within an elegant elliptical staircase designed by Norman Foster. Together, the artworks shape the arrival experience and echo the scale and intensity of the surrounding architecture.

CIG was responsible for the production and pre-assembly of the sculptural elements for the project. The works were fabricated using a combination of aluminum plates, 3D-bent aluminum tubing, and fiberglass components. One of the key technical challenges involved the fabrication of the internal “smoke” forms within the network of 3D-bent aluminum tubes. To achieve this, CIG developed a process in which the tube network was assembled, separated, digitally scanned, and reassembled after the fiberglass smoke elements were formed and placed.

CIG’s scope included work preparation, material procurement, cutting and 3D cold forming of aluminum plates, fabrication of composite elements, and the production of custom templates for accurate assembly. The sculptures were pre-fabricated and pre-assembled in a controlled environment at CIG’s facilities, where the complete works were presented for final approval by Frank Stella prior to delivery. Surface treatments included glass blasting of the aluminum components and painted finishes for the fiberglass elements, consistent with earlier Stella works.

This project is one of many collaborations between CIG and Frank Stella, reflecting a long-standing working relationship built on technical precision, trust, and a shared commitment to translating complex artistic vision into built form.