A few days ago the museum took another step toward our reopening by installing the giant prong that will hold up the abstract flag.
When we reopen, the abstract flag will mark the entrance to the new Star-Spangled Banner gallery and will be a major focal point of the museum. You can clearly see where it will be located (on the marble wall that is now covered by scaffolding) in this picture of my boss Matt, taken from the third floor. Once installed it will create a grand entrance to the exhibition!
A few interesting facts about the abstract flag and its prong:
- The prong, which supports the flag's frame, is made of steel.
- The entire abstract flag weighs roughly the same as a small SUV (around 3000 pounds) and measures 19 feet high by 40 feet wide.
- Stainless steel tubes, welded together and polished to a mirror finish, will form the flag’s frame.
- The 960 semi-reflective tiles that make up the flag's undulating "stars and stripes" are attached to the vertical truss members by very small metal fasteners called "slingbacks."
Calvin Cohen is an intern with the New Media Program.