ITEM NO. 7b Attach 3 
DATE OF 
MEETING July 24, 2012 
F r o m  t h e  D a i l y  J o u r n a l  o f  C o m m e r c e
Art adds color to massive concrete structure 
Local artists Buster Simpson and Linda Beaumont were commissioned for art installations at the
Consolidated Rental Car Facility. 
As an extension of the Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, the Consolidated Rental Car Facility (RCF)
has a significant visual presence within its immediate surroundings, acting as a gateway to the airport and
the city of SeaTac. 
In working with city officials it became apparent they wanted to minimize the impact of looking at another
large parking facility. Two locations at the RCF were identified and later approved by the Port of Seattle's
Art Oversight Committee for art installations: on the two large helices, and between the Customer Service
Building and the employee parking lot on the fifth floor. 
Helix art 
The helices on the outermost corners of the building serve as circular access ramps to the parking floors.
The helices were identified as two large areas where art could be added to minimize the visual impact of
the parking facility. 
Buster Simpson was selected as the design team artist for the helix art. Simpson is a local artist who in
2009 received the prestigious Public Art Network Award. He has been working to make his artworks
"green" long before "green" and "sustainable" became the leading issues of our time. 
The cost for the architectural elements originally designed for the helices, which Simpson's artwork
replaced, was $1.51 million. The cost for the artwork is $1.5 million. This is integrated public art at its
best! 
The artist proposed that the helices be covered with a stainless steel mesh fabric, installed in layers, then
lit with LEDs to provide an aesthetically interesting and pleasing covering for that portion of the concrete
structure. 
Simpson provided the following commentary that best describes his work: 
"'Veiled Carbon' is a sculpture commissioned by the Port of Seattle for the Sea-Tac International Airport
Rental Car Facility. The sculpture consists of a multi-layered stainless steel hexagonal mesh, which
functions like a theatrical scrim to shroud two cylindrical automobile helical ramp structures. 
"The veil curtain is drawn back where needed, to allow passage in and out of the structure. Both the ramp
structure and the mesh are based on a hexagon, coincidently, the symbol of carbon. Carbon is found in
cutting-edge carbon fiber automotive and aeronautical composites as well as diamonds and carbon
dioxide. 
"The helices each measure 99 feet in diameter and 63 feet high. The mesh is attached to the top ring of
(the) structural frame and secured with stainless steel cable. Three layers of stainless steel hexagonal
twisted wire mesh, commonly used in highway rock fall stabilization and gabion applications, provide a
vernacular highway reference. The reflective stainless steel mesh is responsive to changing natural light
conditions and evening illumination events. The veil has a diaphanous quality, which is responsive to
variable daytime light conditions and provides an elusive presence for the helices. 
"As darkness approaches, 60 programmed LED fixtures per helix illuminate the veil to create a wide
variety of light vignettes ranging from kinetically colorful compositions such as atmospheric indicators,
and the color spectrum of oil and water. The installation is viewable from air, mass transit, pedestrian
walkways, and automobile."

Employee parking screen 
The large exterior departure plaza serves as a waiting area for customers returning to the airport's main
terminal from the RCF via shuttle buses. This is the one place in this very busy facility where customers
have a moment to linger. 
Linda Beaumont was selected through an open competition to design and fabricate this large screen that
will serve as a fence separating the public waiting area from the employee parking lot. An award-winning
public artist, Beaumont combines traditional architectural materials with her personal vision to transform
public space. 
A mesmerizing array of brilliant colors and dazzling designs await travelers arriving at the RCF. "Spinning
Our Wheels" is a composition of 91 steel discs, standing 6 feet tall, and running the entire length of a 600-
foot steel fence. The wheels are painted with luminous auto paint and airbrushed in several layers. Each
wheel is unique in design and color. 
The wheels create a playful narrative for the travelers caught in between worlds  "spinning their wheels"
while they await a shuttle bus to a flight into the skies, or a rental car for their visit to the Pacific
Northwest. Set against the soft Seattle skies, the artwork brings a wondrous welcome into view. 
Beaumont always stays close to the heart of the fabrication and installation process, creating pieces with
the expertise and imagination of fabricators, designers and engineers, many of whom she has worked with
for several years. Inventing within both the technical and aesthetic realms, the artist creates work that is
site specific, iconic and visually intimate. 
On this project, Beaumont worked with air brush artist Jose San Juan to create the artwork. Over several
months, the 91 wheels were fabricated at Diamond Painting. Many other local businesses were involved in
the production and installation of the artwork. Fabrication Specialties of Seattle has overseen the entire
fabrication and installation. The vinyl templates were done by Western Graphics. Blue Star Electric, Glen
Harter of Motor Controls, and Piano Nobile all worked with the artist on the design drawings.