The installation “Over Houston,” an art glass display commissioned from Napa, Calif., artist Gordon Huether for the connector bridge of the William P. Hobby Airport in Houston, was recently completed. The six 12- x 20-foot art glass compositions are inspired by imagery Huether abstracted from aerial photographs he shot of Houston and the surrounding area.

“Over Houston” tells a story of air travel and illuminates the unique natural and urban landscape of Houston as seen from above. According to the announcement, this installation becomes a powerful art experience for travelers, encountering it as they move from one part of the airport to another, via the people mover or wide walkway.

Unique art glass techniques including sandblasting, carving, enameling, fusing and laminating were used to fabricate the 48 individual brightly colored panels that were sealed into insulating hurricane and tempered glass units.

Once the composition for each panel was completed, the components were laminated onto a bed of silicone over hurricane glass and sealed into insulating tempered glass units. The art glass panels were then shipped to Houston and installed into the existing glazing system of the connector bridge at the airport during the night to avoid interference with normal operations of the airport.

This public art commission was awarded in 2003 and installed in December of 2009. More than 4,000 hours of studio time were required to complete the project.