Sugarloaf Community Improvement District (CID) commissioned and installed one of the largest sculptures in Gwinnett County at the corner of Sugarloaf Parkway and the I-85 southbound exit ramp. At 37 feet tall, the stainless-steel spires, foundations and walls form the Sugarloaf Ascension Sculpture. Each element is completely custom. The initial design concept is from Confluence Design Consulting. The vision for the project was to highlight the district as a center where business, entertainment, culture and the arts intersect. The dynamic shapes of the two spires seem to both move upwards and around each other simultaneously, a physical representation of the way in which the CID’s work “elevates Gwinnett’s Downtown”. In addition to the CID, the main project team consisted of sculptor Gregory Johnson, Huie Design (construction administration consultant) and Integrated Sign & Graphic, Inc. (the foundation, walls and light fabrication company).

Johnson estimates that the two stainless-steel spires weigh about 20,000 pounds in total; this is his largest stainless-steel project to date. 

“This sculpture is more than a work of art - it’s a symbol of Gwinnett’s energy, growth and spirit of innovation,” said Gwinnett County Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson. “Just as the spires rise together, our community continues to reach new heights when business, culture and people come together.”

Sculptor Gregory Johnson views “life as a journey that comes full circle” and describes his interpretation of this project: “This sculpture focuses on two simple and elegant geometric shapes. It is inspiring to look at, but extremely difficult to build due to the compound curves. There is an energy that we cannot touch or quantify, like a crashing wave, reaching for the sun or subtly suggesting the energy and interaction between people and places.”

CID Board Chairman, Brand Morgan, states, “The Sugarloaf Ascension Sculpture is the CID’s largest investment in public art to date. This bold, striking sculpture serves as a welcome to Gwinnett’s Downtown, and a recognition that in addition to a thriving business community, we are a vibrant regional arts and entertainment center.”

From the Sugarloaf CID’s original sculpture concept to completion, this project represents over 5 years of hard work and coordination with stakeholders such as Georgia DOT, Gwinnett County and Georgia Power.

While Johnson oversaw the fabrication, metal grinding (cleaning), glass bead sandblasting and installation of the two spires, this project included work from the following individuals/companies below:

• Elrod Engineering - sculpture spire and foundation engineer

• Pirke Sheet Metal Fabricator, Inc. – metal fabricator

• Black Mountain Mobile Blasting – texturized the spires with glass beads

• Russell Landscape – landscaping surrounding the sculpture

• Scott Casey (Engineer) – created the complex cutting file for the shapes and designed the spire armatures

• Lang Signs- operated the installation cranes

• Rodney Melancon and Billy Crawford – on-site spire assembly

• Edgar Hernandez, Metal Fabricators Inc. – cut the stainless steel

• Threads of the South – provided nuts and bolts

• Lanier Logistics – shipped the stainless-steel shapes

• Hasten Hastings – mobile welder

Read more about the fabrication of the spires here.