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# Jigsaw Tower Installations
The Marble Curtain by Jeanne Gang is Made Out of 620 Slabs of Stone

By Meghan Young | Published 2012-09-20 | Art & Design
Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/marble-curtain
References: [mymodernmet](http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/studio-gang-architects-marble-curtain) & [studiogang.net](http://www.studiogang.net/)

The Marble Curtain is an art installation that looks like one gigantic jigsaw puzzle. That is because it is made up of giant puzzle-like pieces. Each piece in the Marble Curtain installation is carved out of a slab of stone using water-jet cutters. A total of 620 slabs were linked together just like a traditional puzzle.

Created by [Studio Gang Architects](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gilder-center), a design firm based in Chicago, and led by architect Jeanne Gang, the Marble Curtain installation measures an impressive 18 feet tall and weighs approximately 1,500 pounds. Initially installed in the [Smithsonian Institution’s](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/studio-for-architecture) [National Building Museum](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/gat-umbrella), Marble Curtain is self-supporting, requiring no frames. The makers state, "We chose to explore stone’s structural capacity and challenge conventional thinking about this age-old material by hanging it in tension from the museum’s vaulted ceiling."

## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter)

- Score: 2.3/10
- Popularity: 39% | Activity: 23% | Freshness: 8%
- Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women
- Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X
- Top markets: North America

## Categories

[Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign)

## Key Themes

### Key Themes Behind This Trend

- **Jigsaw Tower Installations:** The trend of creating large-scale installations made up of puzzle-like pieces, allowing for unique artistic expressions.
- **Water-jet Cutters:** The trend of using water-jet cutters to carve slabs of stone for artistic installations, enabling precise and intricate designs.
- **Challenging Conventional Thinking:** The trend of using unconventional materials or methods, such as hanging stone in tension from a vaulted ceiling, to create innovative and thought-provoking installations.

### Where This Applies

- **Art and Design:** The art and design industry can explore jigsaw tower installations as a way to push boundaries and create visually stunning artworks.
- **Stone and Marble:** The stone and marble industry can capitalize on the trend of using water-jet cutters to offer unique carved stone products for various applications, including art installations.
- **Architectural Engineering:** The architectural engineering industry can embrace the concept of challenging conventional thinking to create structurally innovative designs, such as hanging stone in tension for architectural installations.

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