BAC - News

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ISSUE 6 - 2006

	Index
	Archives

2005 Craft Award Winners

›	Brick
›	Brick & Stone
›	Stone
›	Other Masonry Materials
›	Outstanding Members & Service

Unsurpassed Masonry Skills and Union Service Honored

October 5th was a high water mark for not only BAC and the masonry industry, but especially for recipients of the 2005 Craft Awards, who were honored at a special ceremony held in conjunction with the fall BAC Executive Council Meeting.

At the awards presentation, BAC President John J. Flynn not only praised the individual contributions of the 2005 winners, but also noted that collectively, “They illustrate the sheer magnificence of the BAC crafts, members’ skills, and the spirit of service and collaboration that members and signatory contractors bring to their work and to their communities.”

Now in its 22nd year, the BAC Craft Awards program recognizes the drive, dedication, and pursuit of excellence of members, officers, and signatory contractors in the areas of masonry craftsmanship and Union and public service.

Brick

Photos by Steven Linder Photography

Best Brick Project
Local 1 Minnesota/North Dakota
Downtown East Light Rail Transit (LRT) Station Plaza
Minneapolis, MN

Signatory Contractor:
Weise Masonry, Inc.
Architect/Designer:
Hammel Green & Abrahamson

Each of the 17 stations that make up the Minneapolis light rail system was designed by a different team of architects and artists to relate to the surrounding neighborhood. The stunning Station Plaza, located in the heart of Minneapolis and considered the hub of the system, was completed by members of Local 1 Minnesota/North Dakota employed by Weise Masonry, Inc.

The Plaza’s focal point is a monumental series of seven compound arches, echoing Minneapolis’ famed stone arch bridge, which extends a total of 300 feet in length, 34 feet in height, and consists of approximately 76,000 brick. One side of each arch is clad with single light-colored brick, while the plaza-facing surface is an ornate patterned brick mosaic consisting of five different designs in five different colors of modular brick, each representing the area’s diverse ethnic heritage.

The project, which involved the use of 12,000 square feet of modular brick, colored mortars, and architectural pre-cast caps, took roughly 2,600 work-hours to complete, and required precise placement of each color of brick according to the pattern designed by artist Andrew Leicester.