The Virtuoso statue in its new location on the northwest side of the Lyric Centre.

Virtuoso Statue Relocation

Innovative problem-solving and comprehensive investigation in action.

Project Facts

Location Houston, Texas
Owner Lyric Centre
Size 36-feet tall
Status Completed 2017

Overview

David Adickes’ “Virtuoso” statue is a popular art fixture in downtown Houston in front of the Lyric Centre. However, when the centre needed to redo their landscaping, the statue needed to relocate to a new home—in one piece. 

A construction team guides a custom rigging system in the relocation of the Virtuoso statue.

A rigging system moves the Virtuoso statue 20 feet from its original location.

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About the project

To accommodate a landscape renovation project, the owners of the Lyric Centre wanted to relocate the Virtuoso statue approximately 20 feet to the northwest front of the building. The statue was originally assembled on-site and from three different pieces, so it would be impossible to disassemble and rebuild it.

To begin this project, and to properly assess the best way to relocate this structure, the team at Walter P Moore established how much the statue weighed, how the statue was supported, and whether the move was feasible. Without documentation of the original installation, investigative research was required to move forward. 

The team determined that the best way to access the missing information was to go directly to the source—artist David Adickes’ studio. Adickes shared the original installation documents as well as construction photos. 

Using laser scanner data and nondestructive testing, the team was able to establish that the statue weighed 25 tons. Next, the team made exploratory openings with the use of a GPR scanner to evaluate the structure’s capacity to sustain this weight at its new location. Finally, the Walter P Moore team assisted in designing a rigging system that safely and efficiently lifted the statue in one piece.

This project is a significant example of Walter P Moore’s dedication to innovative problem-solving, comprehensive investigation, and thorough communication with clients.