Accessible media reference
Installation animation
Text description of the 3 minute 37 second installation animation. The summaries describe the on-screen text and visual sequence.
Visual sequence
The animation introduces the location and related installations, then shows base construction, finishing, fitting the sculpture and landscaping. The proposed cylinder is 65 cm in diameter, with 140 cm exposed and another 10 cm fitting into the underside of the sculpture.
Illustrative method only. The contractor and engineer determine the site-specific foundation, reinforcement, anchoring, concrete specification and installation methods.
On-screen sequence
These summaries describe the picture rather than transcribe the audio, which is music only.
Jefferson in Athens: a sculpture by George Petrides. Installation at Jefferson House.
The finished installation inside the main entrance: the sculpture on its base, with a planted bed and hedges. Landscaping is illustrative.
This animation illustrates a base design used by Petrides Public Sculpture around the world, optimized for time and cost efficiency using locally available materials and techniques. Construction takes about a week, most of it curing time. Indicative cost of labor and materials is about €4,000, to be confirmed by the engineer and contractor.
Examples of this design adjoin the CMR at Elena Venizelou Hospital and, across the avenue from the Chancery, at Alexandras and Aretaieio Hospitals. Here the size and design are customized for the location immediately inside the gate on Panagi Kyriakou Street. Six other locations were examined. Landscaping is indicative and will be determined and implemented by Embassy staff.
Materials: a 65 cm diameter formwork tube (at least 200 cm long), cement, iron rebar and a mixer. Illustrative only; the final design is confirmed by the contractor and engineer.
Dig a 100 × 100 cm pit, 70 cm deep, and place a two-layer 20 × 20 cm reinforcement grid, wired together (engineer to confirm).
Set 12 vertical bars on a 40 cm circle, tied with hoops, and pour the footing, 30 cm deep.
Cut the tube to 190 cm: 150 cm above grade plus 40 cm from the top of the footing up to grade. The concrete rises 150 cm: 10 cm fits inside the sculpture and 140 cm is visible. Stand the tube over the bars, brace it with timber and pour the concrete from the mixer, raised on a timber platform, down a chute into the tube.
Wait for the concrete to cure, typically 4–5 days.
Remove the bracing and peel off the cardboard, grind off the spiral seam ridges, spackle, prime and paint the base light brown, then backfill to grade.
Dry fit the sculpture and set its orientation, then remove it.
Drill four vertical holes, install four threaded bolts in the holes with adhesive, position their flanges about 2 cm above the concrete, and apply adhesive.
Lower the sculpture (about 30 kg) onto the bolts and twist to engage, so that it faces straight ahead.
Install the approved bronze plaque. The text shown is a draft.
The planted setting is completed. Landscaping is indicative, to be designed by CMR staff.
Closing card: questions to George Petrides, studio@petrides.art, +1 917 860 0932. Music: “Shenandoah”, arranged and performed by Bert Alink (IMSLP, Creative Commons Attribution 3.0).