REI sculpture, North Bethesda

This sculpture was commissioned by REI for its store in North Bethesda, Maryland. It is the work of professor and sculptor Foon Sham.

The piece takes the form of a tree and is built from more than five thousand rough sawn Kebony Clear blocks, stacked and assembled. The motif echoes the retailer's position as a specialist in outdoor equipment.

A piece made of so many components places particular demands on stability: the slightest differential shrinkage between blocks would show as visible gaps and weaken the assembly. Kebony modified wood, impregnated with a bio-based liquid, offers the high dimensional stability and biological resistance that answer this constraint, including in permanent installation.