2016 DCC Award Winner
Stealth, Sinclair Construction Group

First Place: Concrete Artistry / Under 5000 SF

Rising 33’ amidst the bustle of downtown Atlanta, Stealth twists and contorts in artistic fashion. It gleams with the characteristics of steel, but don’t be fooled by its shiny and sharp-edged nature – what you’re seeing is solid black concrete.

Designed by Tristan Al-Haddad, an award-winning designer and visual artist, Stealth’s formwork was modeled in Rhino Software down to bolt level, then created using a 5-Axis CNC Router. Each piece, individually numbered, was built from three layers of ¼” bent marine-grade plywood. The process used in assembling was very similar to boat building. The plywood face was sanded and filled with gypsum, sealed and urethaned to create a smooth surface. The forms were stacked in sections to allow multiple lifts to be performed as it continued to go vertical. The concrete had to be expertly designed to decrease the variation of color from pour to pour as well as prevent honeycombing due to improper consolidations. Forta Ferro Macrofibers were used to ensure the angled sections would resist cracking and breaking off. Eight tons of rebar helped give Stealth its shape; each rod hand cut, bent, and placed with ultimate precision to allow proper coverage. Due to its exterior location, extra precautions were made to protect the open air site, as we battled a rainy spring. Stealth is unlike anything we have ever seen or done. Anyone in the industry can tell you how concrete can take any shape, and Stealth proves that – in astounding fashion.