Casts From the Past I

Casts From the Past is a recurring retrospective of select Palladio GFRG projects.

Unlike real roses, this rosette’s petals are exact copies of the first, seen here being carved before moulding. This large rosette will become a central element in a rotunda for a synagogue in Brooklyn, NY.

Palladio GFRG designed this custom pattern for a client in Brooklyn, NY.

Looking at the moulding’s profile (bottom of the photo), it's evident that the ribboned bay leaves are derived from a segment of a torus or ring, and the slanted "S" of the acanthus leaves --  the right-most portion -- are based on the "cyma recta".

Plaster pieces can be given the illusion of flexibility by simply bending the silicon mould before casting.

What isn't so simple? Recreating the desired curve in the wooden structure beneath and keeping semi-liquid plaster in the mould until it sets!

Upside-down for shipping purposes, these imposing Corinthian capitals have had quite the journey. Moulds were created of the originals from a state capitol building in West Virginia, then transported to the Palladio studio. GFRG casts were made there and then shipped back to WV for installation.