Healing in Motion - Luminux Suspended Sculpture

A Four-Story Luminux Suspended Sculpture at Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton

As part of the new Patient Tower at Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton, a breathtaking four-story suspended mobile sculpture now rises above the courtyard—catching sunlight and scattering color throughout the space. Conceived by artists Gary Bannister and Angelique Jackson, the installation embodies Tanner’s belief in the healing power of art and its ability to transform the experience of care.

Crafted from Luminux’s ultra-light aluminum panels, the sculpture’s dozens of vividly colored discs shimmer in motion. From dawn’s soft glow to midday’s brilliance, it creates an ever-changing vertical garden of color and reflection. Patients, visitors, and staff glimpse it from every level of the tower—finding a moment of quiet wonder at its center.

Concept & Craft

The sculpture is a soaring yet delicate composition, marrying lightweight structural engineering with organic, abstract floral forms. Its reflective discs gently rotate with the breeze, animating the courtyard with a slow, calming rhythm. The suspended assembly stands nearly 40 feet tall and weighs approximately 7,500 pounds, supported on a concealed structural steel framework and engineered for long-term durability with minimal maintenance.

The project reflects the artists’ conviction that art and architecture can care for both body and mind, offering a focal point that orients and soothes those who pass through the courtyard.

Built in Atlanta, Delivered with Precision

The sculpture’s framework and reflective discs were initially fabricated and assembled in Atlanta. To simplify handling and ensure safety on-site, the structure was divided into four stacked sections, each 10 feet high and 20 feet in diameter.

Each section was shipped as two vertical half-frames, creating eight major parts in total.  The art discs were pre-installed on rods, ready to be inserted into the frame onsite. This approach allowed most assembly work to be done at ground level, minimizing high-elevation positioning.

After dry-fit in the shop, the components were protected, loaded onto a flatbed truck, and transported to Carrollton for installation.

Step-by-Step Installation

1. Preparing the Courtyard

Prior to arrival, the general contractor poured four reinforced concrete piers topped with precision-aligned steel mounting plates at the courtyard’s center. These would serve as the permanent anchor for the sculpture’s base.

A close-up shows one of the four poured cement bases topped with a steel plate, ready to receive the sculpture.

2. Lifting the Base In

Because the courtyard is fully enclosed by the surrounding tower, a 350-ton crane was stationed outside the building to perform a dramatic “fly-over.”

The crane lowers one of 4 sections base assembly into the enclosed courtyard from above, carefully aligning with the four pre-installed cement piers. Exact spacing of the piers was credited to the buried galvanized steel mounting bracket alignment.

3. Assembling the Sections

At grade level, crews bolted the vertical half-frames together to form complete 10-foot-high sections. Each section’s art discs—eight sets per section—had been pre-mounted to individual posts

reduce time assembling onsite and to avoid working at heights exceeding 20’.

Crews secure the discs on posts into their upper frames before the sections are lifted for stacking.

4. Stacking Bottom and Top Pairs

Using a scissor lift and the crane, the team mechanically joined two sections on the ground to create the lower half of the sculpture. The process was repeated for the top half, keeping all bolting work below 20 feet from the ground for safety.

Then the crane lowers the top three sections into the courtyard to align with the anchored bottom section before bolting them together in order to create the completed steel sculpture framework.

5. The Courtyard Fly-Over

With the bottom and top halves completed, the crane hoisted the upper half and aligned it onto the lower half inside the courtyard. Once fully connected and stabilized, the entire four-story structure was anchored to the base plates.

For safety and liability, the general contractor’s crew completed the final base-plate connection and redundant safety roof-cable attachments, while the Luminux team remained outside the courtyard perimeter.

The completed four-story-tall sculpture stands in place, its vibrant discs shimmering in the sunlight. To appreciate the scale, note the 6’3” tall worker standing beside it.

A Soaring Beacon of Color and Calm

Now fully installed, the sculpture stands as a luminous centerpiece in Tanner’s new Patient Tower courtyard—a living landmark of light, color, and care.

As sunlight shifts and breezes stir, the discs sparkle and spin gently, scattering bursts of reflected color across the courtyard’s glass walls. The result is both uplifting and serene, offering visitors and patients a sense of connection to nature, calming movement, and healing.

This Luminux installation is not only a feat of engineering—it is a work of art designed to restore the spirit, energize the space, and celebrate the beauty of life.

Credits

Art & Design: Gary Bannister (Luminux Reflective Panels) and Angelique Jackson (Jancik Arts International, Inc.)

Art discs panels: Luminux

Structural steel frame armature:  Scenario Labs, LLC

General Contractor & Courtyard Integration: Tanner project team and partners

Crane & Rigging: Specialty rigging team

Location: Tanner Medical Center/Carrollton — New Patient Tower Courtyard

Architects: Peacock Partnerships/Lead: Paul Reichert