The final piece of public art has been installed at Pittsburgh International Airport, completing a years-long effort to weave art into the fabric of the airport’s new terminal and creating what will become one of the region’s most visible cultural landmarks.
Open Columns, created by artist Patrick Marold, features three weathering steel and stainless steel columns ranging from 20 to 40 feet tall. Installed between the Terminal Garage and the new terminal, the sculptural work invites visitors to step inside each column and look upward, where reflective bands gradually dissolve into the sky.
Airport officials expect the installation to be viewed by more than 10 million people annually, making it one of the most visible public art pieces in the region.
“It’s exciting to have an installation at Pittsburgh International Airport,” Marold said during last week’s installation. “It is exciting to be part of an airport just completing major construction.”
For Pittsburgh International Airport, the installation represents more than the completion of a public art project. It reinforces the airport’s role as both a transportation hub and a cultural gateway. Since the opening of its new terminal, the airport has embraced a vision that introduces travelers to the region’s artistic identity from the moment they arrive.
Open Columns is the final installation in the airport’s reimagined Art in the Airport program, which commissioned 16 artists from around the world to create site-specific works throughout the new terminal. The expanded collection now features artwork in 30 locations across the airport campus, with many pieces created by artists from the Pittsburgh region.
Constructed from weathering steel and polished stainless steel, the sculpture also reflects the area’s industrial heritage. Weathering steel, commonly known as Corten steel, has been used in landmark Pittsburgh buildings for decades, while the polished surfaces reference the region’s continued leadership in manufacturing, construction and technology.
According to the airport’s Arts and Culture Manager, Keny Marshall, the installation embodies the airport’s NaTeCo design philosophy, which emphasizes Nature, Technology and Community throughout the new terminal.
“Open Columns’ use of weathering steel and highly polished stainless steel brings the region’s history and technology together in a reflective space,” Marshall said. “The new terminal is a destination for travelers and the community.”
For Marold, whose work has appeared at airports around the world, aviation itself continues to inspire his creative process.
“Air travel is so inspiring and something I really enjoy,” he said. “I try to get a window seat to enjoy the changing terrain below. Looking through the columns is like looking out of an airplane window, and I hope it gives the person the same kind of wonder I get when I look out of an airplane window.”
The installation also underscores the airport’s broader commitment to showcasing Pittsburgh through locally rooted design. From large-scale permanent commissions to rotating exhibitions, the Art in the Airport program was developed to ensure art remains a defining part of the passenger experience while celebrating the region’s industrial legacy, creative community and forward-looking spirit.
With Open Columns now in place, the airport’s artistic vision is complete, ensuring millions of travelers each year begin their journey through Pittsburgh with a lasting impression of the city, its people and its creative identity.
