When executives at Allianz Global Insurance saw Zimmerman’s new work Intersection at the Gagosian Gallery in Beverly Hills, they decided something like it would be perfect for the entry to their headquarters in Burbank, CA.  For the exhibition in 1998, Zimmerman wanted to work with sedimentary stone, a “warmer” rock than the igneous granite with which she usually works. She chose red sandstone from Arizona. Following her usual practice to work directly at quarries to select the stone for each project, Zimmerman went near the Grand Canyon, the site of the sandstone quarry. Zimmerman immerses herself in the geological nature of the quarry sites she uses.  There is something absolutely integral about the choice of materials that stems from her understanding of their origin. 

The shape and scale of the entry drive at New Allianz corporate headquarters required that Zimmerman change the configuration of the stone panels that formed Intersection. This new arrangement prompted memories of her visit to the ancient stones at Morbihan in Brittany, a site that predates Stonehenge. Adapting the form of Intersection to this site presented an unusual challenge but was clearly an opportunity to create a new work out of existing materials. The piece now titled Roundabout provides an entry to the headquarters, as well as a sheltered seating area.


COMPLETED 2002
LOCATION
Allianz Headquarters, Burbank, CA
SITE DESCRIPTION
300-foot-diameter entry court
PRIMARY MATERIALS
Sandstone blocks and grasses
COMMISSIONED BY
City of Burbank and Empire Center Development Corporation