Two monumental artworks, a mosaic by WOWHAUS (Scott Constable and Ene Osteraas-Constable) and a suspended glass sculpture by Ray King, were commissioned as part of the developer’s public art in private development requirement for a beautiful residential tower in Oakland. Chandra Cerrito / Art Advisors started working with the development and design team in 2017 to help determine locations, select artists, oversee conceptual designs, manage the city approval process, and facilitate coordination among artists, architects, and building contractors.

Quercus, a hand-cut glass mosaic by WOWHAUS, appears abstract but is inspired by the microscopic image of an acorn, a reference to Oakland’s namesake tree. Dominating a four-story wall at the end of a narrow pocket park, the artwork radiates color and shimmers in the light, creating a unique and celebratory sense of place.

Ray King’s Golden Wave, comprised of thousands of dichroic glass elements suspended from a stainless-steel armature, extends from outside the main entrance into the building lobby on either side of a glass curtain wall, connecting outside and inside. The glass elements on cables move like leaves in the wind, changing color from gold to blue, depending on the viewer’s angle, and casting swatches of color onto the floor below. Never static, the artwork is like a river flowing through and animating the space.