Chinese artist Gao Weigang was commissioned to create a site-specific sculpture for the busy lobby area of the Shanghai Bund Finance Centre, a commercial development located in Shanghai’s prestigious Bund district. In collaboration with UAP’s Shanghai studio, Gao created Elevate, a 5.8metre tall spiraling vertical sculpture, extending upon the artist’s series of staircase sculptures which appear to lead nowhere. The work was fabricated using folding and welding techniques in stainless steel and electroplated to create an ethereal and highly reflective gold finish.

Gao Weigang is an internationally recognized artist known for his sculptures that reimagine everyday objects, transforming them into non-functional, optical illusions that evoke curiosity and wonder. For this project, UAP were involved from the onset, curating the project and working through artist selection, commissioning, fabrication and installation.