As murals increasingly capture the public’s imagination, those who commission and design them often envision numerous methods for executing an idea. Sometimes, the solution lies beyond the realm of an inkjet-printed or hand-rendered graphic. Miami officials and the Florida Dept. of Transportation spearheaded developing the Port of Miami Tunnel, which, according to the Tunnel website, implements parallel concrete tunnels under Biscayne Bay that connect MacArthur Causeway on Watson Island with Port Miami, while also reducing the volume of cargo trucks and pass-through traffic on State Route A1A, a heavily traveled artery.
As with many public-construction projects, local officials wanted the tunnels’ form to match their effective function. Bougyes Civil Works, the global construction contractor that built the tunnels, hired Winsor Fireform LLC (Tumwater, WA) to manufacture 10 porcelain-enamel murals – five apiece for the twin tunnels. Winsor’s Diane Chamberlain noted that Arquitectonica, a Seattle-based firm that served as the project’s designer, knew of Winsor Fireform’s capabilities and recommended them.
Arquitectonica’s Christine Zavesky designed the project with Adobe Illustrator software; given the waterfront’s dominant role in Miami’s commerce and culture, an aquatic motif seemed natural. As a motorist proceeds into the tunnel, the tiles become darker. One direction features sea turtles as its iconic figure; the other highlights sharks. Chamberlain noted the mural isn’t merely aesthetic; it features a “running man” pictogram that illustrates the route to emergency exits.
Winsor Fireform fabricated the porcelain-enamel artwork through its proprietary process that bakes the colors into the 16-gauge steel at 1,500° F. Winsor fabricated the panels to install into a custom extrusion that joins the panels to the client’s furnished, aluminum backing layer. With Winsor Fireform initially onsite in an advisory role, Bougyes installed the 10 murals, each of which measures 45 ft. x 11 ft. 4 in.
“Porcelain enamel is very durable, and it’s easy to clean,” Chamberlain said. “Precision was required to maintain the variety and vibrancy of the colors seamlessly across the panels.”
Winsor Fireform also fabricated 12 large tile murals for a concrete underpass on West Las Vegas’ F St. that connects the neighborhood to downtown Las Vegas. The murals feature a collage of legendary African-American musicians, such as Nat King Cole and Louis Armstrong. Comprised of 12 x 12-in., porcelain-wall tiles, the 12, 20 x 7-ft. murals each features unique, four-color-process images that bleed seamlessly. The customer, Las Vegas Paving, handled the installation using a system that Winsor Fireform provided with alphanumeric references that match markings on the back of each tile.