Abstract Flag, Smithsonian National Museum of American History

The Abstract Flag sculpture marks the entrance to the exhibit of the original Betsy Ross flag at the recently opened Museum of American History at the Smithsonian in Washington, DC. The frame which holds the acrylic panels is 42 feet long by 20 feet tall.

TriPyramid collaborated with the architect and structural engineer to create an accurate 3D model of the frame to ensure a perfect fit of the panels, made by others. Tripyramid made a mockup for viewing the acrylic tiles, and then fabricated the flag structure. High strength, duplex stainless steel was used to minimize the size of frame elements. TriPyramid’s ability to fabricate the solid bars to extremely tight tolerances and finish them to a perfect mirror polish was essential in carrying this project to its successful completion. The entire structure is cantilevered off the wall by a painted steel “spider” assembly, also by TriPyramid.