Notable Commissions

Well, where to begin? We have had the privilege of working with some of the nation's finest architects, designers and preservationists on magnificent projects and timeless works of art. Whether creating works for foreign dignitaries (the 700 linear feet of bronze and stainless-steel grillwork fabricated for a project in Kuwait comes to mind) or outfitting homes here in the U.S., we take pride in creating pieces that do their owners proud and will last for generations to come. Here are some of the projects we recall with particular fondness.

UVM Clock

A handsome, high-tech clock designed and fabricated by Stephen Conant of Conant Metal & Light in Burlington was installed recently in the University of Vermont's Davis Center. The luminous clock, a gift from UVM's graduating class of 2006, is a one-of-a-kind design, new to the clock industry. Strategically situated in the four-story atrium of the Davis Center, the innovative timepiece is visible from all four floors. The clock, made of welded structural steel, features illuminated numerals on a transparent face. It is five feet high and finished in UVM green with 18 karat gold-leafed accents. With this patent-pending design, light wicks through the edge of the face and lights the numbers as if by magic.

"ShowBoats" International Yacht Design Competition

In 2006, "Ghost" won the top award for the "Most Innovative Sailing Yacht over 50 meters long". To commemorate their accomplishment, ShowBoats Magazine presented the owner with an award created by Conant Metal & Light. The award, one of sixteen presented at the annual event in Monaco, was constructed of four layers of custom cut and polished glass sandwiched between five layers of dark oxidized brass. The innovative design was the brain child of architect, John Anderson, of Burlington, VT. Conant Metal & Light and Anderson Studios have collaborated on many such projects over the years The ShowBoats awards were so well received that Conant Metal & Light, Inc. was chosen to create additional awards for the 2007 Rendezvous event in Monaco.

Health Science Research Facility UVM College of Medicine

When the University of Vermont Medical School needed something exciting to bring life and light to the entry of its new Health Science Research Facility, they asked Conant Metal & Light for a proposal. Steve Conant, a UVM alumni, gladly stepped up to design and build this dynamic 17' X 8' solid brass illuminated mobile.

Suspended thirty feet overhead, this LED illuminated sculpture provides a dramatic focal point, visible from each of four floors of the open atrium. Its dramatic twist was inspired by the double helix of a DNA molecule while it's LED light source was chosen for its energy efficiency and low maintenance cost.

   

International Zinc Association - Brussels, Belgium

Zinc is the second most abundant element in our favorite alloy, brass. In fact, yellow brass is composed of 30% zinc. So, when the International Zinc Association needed gifts to present to it's distinguished members, Conant Metal & Light was the obvious source.

We designed and manufactured 75 pairs of distinctive (and heavy) bookends depicting the IZA logo in solid brass with a background of commercial bronze. Conant Metal & Light has produced numerous such treasures with which to commemorate special occasions.

 

 

UVM Dairy Stools

When Steve Conant was a college kid at UVM, he would often visit the Carrigan Dairy Bar to enjoy a 35 cent cone of UVM-made strawberry ice cream.
Had he known that some day he'd be restoring the very stool he was sitting on, perhaps he would have felt differently about them. In the 70's they were simply a place to sit and enjoy a moment's reprieve from one's studies.
Today, however, they represent the only remaining symbols of a day gone by.
The original building is gone and UVM no longer makes ice cream, but thanks to Conant Metal & Light, the stools are fully restored and installed for all to enjoy in the new Davis Student Center. Restoration included replacing broken springs and bearings, rust removal and the restoration of all chrome and painted surfaces. As a 'green' building, reuse was clearly the best choice

 

The Mount Estate & Gardens - Lenox, Mass.

In 1997, when the restoration of the deteriorated 1902 estate and gardens of famed American author Edith Wharton began, trustees sought out the best and the brightest to restore the site to its original glory. Thus, when the group determined that a centerpiece chandelier was beyond repair, they turned to Conant Metal & Light to manufacture a reproduction fixture true to the original. The elegant chandelier now commands attention as a focal point in the restored, 42-room mansion. The Mount is a National Historic Landmark notable for its stature in American architecture and design as well as for its owner and designer, the late author Edith Wharton, the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize for literature. In addition to the mansion, the estate includes a Georgian Revival stable, three acres of formal gardens and additional acres of scenic woodlands.

   

Union Station - St. Louis, Missouri

St. Louis Union Station was at one time the largest and busiest passenger rail terminal in the world. Now it is one of St. Louis' most popular tourist attractions and a premier marketplace. Originally opened in 1894, it underwent a spectacular $100 million restoration in 1985. Conant Metal & Light played an important role in the project, reproducing more than 50 period fixtures for the main lobby. Today the station houses more than 90 specialty shops and restaurants, 10 movie theaters and a Hyatt Regency hotel.

 

 

Concord Free Public Library -- Concord, Mass.

As part of an $8 million renovation of the historic public library in Concord, Massachusetts, Conant Metal & Light painstakingly restored and refitted more than a dozen lighting fixtures dating back to 1873, when the library was founded. The stunning result of this project has earned accolades from historic preservationists throughout the world. The Concord Free Public Library is renowned for its special collection of materials documenting the Colonial, Revolutionary and literary history of Massachusetts, including the papers of Hawthorne, Thoreau, Frost, Emerson, Dickinson, Melville and others.

 

The Beverly Public Library - Beverly, Mass.

As part of a $2.5 million renovation of the historic Beverly Public Library in Massachusetts in 2001, Conant Metal & Light restored six grand, silver-plated chandeliers and four silver-plated desk lamps to pristine condition after a previous restoration effort by another company had led to further deterioration. Our restoration experts developed a cost-effective solution that salvaged the fixtures and enabled the library's restoration to proceed on track.

 

 

 

The Lebanon Opera House

In 2002, the city of Lebanon, N.H., completed a major renovation of the town's architectural "crown jewel:" the 1924 Lebanon Opera House and City Hall. Conant Metal & Light was retained to restore the building's collection of magnificent but dilapidated lighting fixtures, including a stunning brass chandelier. The period fixtures reflect the building's colorful history - from meeting house, to movie house, to active, year-round performing arts facility today. The 800-seat facility is the largest proscenium theater in the region and the cultural focal point of the greater Lebanon community.

 

The Steamboat Ticonderoga - Shelburne, VT

Who better to restore all the original lighting and brass hardware on the 220-foot steamship Ticonderoga, a National Historic Landmark, than Conant Metal & Light? Now housed at the famed Shelburne Museum, the last walking-beam, sidewheel passenger steamer in existence portrays life on board in 1923 - complete with carved woodwork, gilded ceilings, staterooms, a grand staircase and, of course, beautifully preserved brass fixtures. Conant Metal & Light restored and rewired all of the original period bronze ship lights - upwards of a hundred of them - and rebuilt countless brass hardware components, including a binnacle cover (compass housing), for this impressive project.

 

The West Monitor Barn - Richmond, Vermont

The West Monitor Barn is an iconic state and local historic landmark that sits alongside Interstate 89 between Montpelier and Burlington. At the time of its construction in 1901, the "monitor" roof design - which aids air circulation and thus improves the health of the livestock inside - represented a major advance in barn architecture.

Over the years, the barn had fallen into major structural disrepair and at one point was slated for demolition. Local preservationists and other activists came to the rescue and with the help of the Youth Conservation Corps (YCC), dismantled the decaying structure and rebuilt it to its original specifications. Today the barn is fully restored and serving as a fully operational conservation, education and training center under the YCC. Conant Metal & Light contributed to the effort by fabricating historically accurate, period-style brass lamps for the exterior.

 

The Lois McClure Schooner

When a Vermont maritime museum decided in 2000 to reproduce an 1862-era canal sailing schooner, it gave volunteers the opportunity to pitch in and help and it gave Conant Metal & Light the opportunity to demonstrate once again, its talents in historical lighting reproduction. The result is the 88-foot Lois McClure Schooner (named after the project's main benefactor), whose hold features brass lanterns fabricated by Conant Metal & Light. The low-voltage lanterns are brand new, but you would never know it by looking at them: the distressed finish gives the appearance of fixtures that have aged gracefully to the rhythms of the sea. The lanterns are one of the many features that lend historical authenticity to this project, which marked the first canal schooner to be built in over a century.

 

New Hampshire State Library

The imposing New Hampshire State Library, built in 1895 of native granite, is one of the complex of buildings comprising the center of state government in Concord. It is said to be the oldest state library in the U.S. The state retained Conant Metal & Light in early 2006 to restore two 200-pound, 8' tall bronze torchieres to grace the front entrance, part of an ongoing restoration of historic state buildings. The torchieres are depicted in the period sketch at left.

 

Sculptural Chandelier

When one of our customers told us about his vision for a dramatic, sculptural lighting fixture to grace the entrance of his majestic home, we jumped at the chance to make his dream a reality.

The result is this spectacular, 15' fixture comprised of 35 pieces of bronze, which cascades in front of a magnificent stone fireplace.

In addition to serving as a commanding piece of art, the fixture provides decorative ambient light as well as artwork-illuminating task light. It was hand-wrought in our studios by metalwork artisan Kirk Williams.

 

Period Restaurants in New York City

Through our association with Grayling Design of Brooklyn, NY, we have helped to bring classic elegance to three culinary landmarks in New York City: Balthazar Restaurant, Schiller's Liquor Bar, and Pastis Café. Enhancing the 1920s architecture and decor of each establishment are light fixtures designed to reflect the regional style of the Roaring Twenties. The decor of these fine restaurants is reason enough to visit, but the food is spectacular, too.