Pillar of Fire (sculpture) - Wikipedia

Pillar of Fire

(sculpture)

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Pillar of Fire

Artist

Year

2013

Type

glass, concrete

Dimensions

4.9 m (16 ft)

Location

14th and S Streets NW

, U.S.

Pillar of Fire

is an illuminated glass sculpture in

honoring

(formerly Whitman-Walker Clinic) and the healthcare

workers who assisted people living with

during the

layers of

that changes colors throughout the day.

It was installed

in 2013 in front of the old Whitman-Walker Clinic site at

and S Streets

NW.

The design was inspired by the ancient tale of a

that led

in their

and through the desert

Design

[

]

Pillar of Fire

is a 16 feet (4.9 m) high illuminated glass sculpture in the

shape of a slender column which represents the pillar of fire that guided the

Israelites at night.

The glass weighs 2,000 pounds and is rigidly

to a durable glass and steel rod placing the column under 15,000

pounds of pressure.

The column is composed of 370 egg-shaped layers of float

glass with unpolished edges that reflects natural light and is illuminated

from within.

The glasses ever-changing lights responds to changing

atmospheric and lighting conditions throughout the day.

An internal and

external programmable lighting system creates the illumination.

The color

design at night is an abstraction of the

, a symbol of

pride.

A plaque on the sculpture's concrete base says the artwork is

dedicated to "Whitman-Walker Clinic and the many health care workers who

served the LGBT community in this building from 1987 to 2008, the early years

of the pandemic."

Artists

[

]

The sculpture was designed by artist William Cochran of

, who specializes in large-scale public art

installations.

On choosing the design of the memorial, Cochran said "The title comes from this notion that when

we get scared, as humans, we tend to bring out these old, dark myths of the

God that punishes people for

sin and things that don’t make any sense. It’s darkness...And a place like Whitman-Walker has to work uphill against

that to bring dignity and compassion to people caught up in a terrible situation...The 'pillar of fire' refers to the

health care workers at Whitman-Walker, who did, in a moment of history, something so incredible that it can be an

example for all of us, for the ages."

Lighting consultant John Coventry of

, designed and donated the programmable lighting system.

Acclaim Lighting of Los Angeles provided additional materials.

Engineering services were provided by New York firm

Eckersley O’Callaghan, which specializes in structural glass, and the assembly and installation was completed by

Service Glass Industries of Frederick.

History

[

]

's 25th

anniversary of holding a vigil on

in 2013. Attendees

are gathered at the

Pillar of Fire

sculpture.

In 2008,

purchased the

's former building located at

1407 S Street NW in the

neighborhood of Washington, D.C.

The

Historic Preservation Review Board (HPRB) suggested a plaque be placed on the

building noting the history of the clinic.

Instead the company wanted a more

prominent way of honoring the healthcare workers and clinic's role in assisting

people living with HIV/AIDS during the height of the AIDS epidemic.

James Nozar, a

vice president of JBG, said "We thought the work of the clinic during the peak of

the AIDS epidemic was worthy of a better memorial than just a plaque."

In 2012, JBG announced the memorial would be

installed on the corner of 14th and S Streets in front of the renovated building which was incorporated into a 125-

unit apartment complex called The District.

The plan was approved by the HPRB, Office of Planning and

(ANC).

Ramon Estrada, a member of the ANC, noted the area was designated an arts overlay

district and the installation of public art was encouraged.

The total cost of the project was $80,000.

Pillar of Fire

was dedicated on November 4, 2013, with Cochran, representatives from JBG and Whitman-Walker, and

Councilmember

in attendance.

Graham, executive director of Whitman-Walker from 1984 to 2009, stated: "This

is a celebration of the human spirit...Because the human spirit that worked in this building, that worked with

individuals who, very often, were very poor and facing what was then thought to be a terminal illness – and was, in

fact a terminal illness – who had no resources, no support system, very little in the way of friends and supporters,

often abandoned by their family, abandoned by their employers. They came to this building as a place of hope and

response."

The following month Mayor

and around 75 people held a candlelight vigil at the new memorial