The project to create the Tagore Grove Monument was a lengthy process, but with an idea from the Tagore Society of Houston and Architect Alvaro Espinal, this project was able to come to life and be bigger and more magnificent with the manufacturing and architectural building from ARIA Signs & Design.

This was an honor for ARIA to create this project for the Tagore Society and to help honor a statue of Nobel Prize winner and philosopher Rabindranath Tagore. The manufacturing process took time and dedication to ensure that this monument represented Tagore. Now the statue stands taller than ever before!

As you drive down West Houston, right off Eldridge Parkway, you can not miss the 11ft monument that sits at Ray Miller Park. The monument is 11ft by 28ft with a distinct rich copper look that pops out from the park.

The Material

In order to get that rich copper look, ARIA had to use a special kind of steel cor-ten to ensure that the vibrant color and shade of copper were added to the panels. The reason this was important to the project is because the color represents philosopher Tagore’s homeland.

The Process

For ARIA to use cor-ten steel, they had to speed up the process of rust before opening day. To fasten the process of rust on the steel, ARIA sandblasted every panel to ensure that every side of the monument was the same shade of rust. This was a lengthy process to ensure that every panel rusted.

Another detail that ARIA also looked at, was adding Tagore’s philosophy and scripture to the sides of the monument. They added fine border details around the monument to give it its finishing details. To do that ARIA used their newest laser fiber cutter.

The Design

From paper designs to steel metal, ARIA had to ensure that Tagore’s scripture was detailed and clear to read, using the laser cutter was a crucial part of this step. If ARIA were to use any other method of cutting the steel, the results would not have been the same, with precise and clean cuttings. ARIA Signs & Designs is proud to say they use the latest technology to ensure precise manufacturing and a speedy process.

To put everything together from cor-ten steel panels to adding Tagore’s scripture, award-winning architect Alvaro Espinal designed the layout, specifically made for this project. One thing that Espinal did in his design was he used the Mandala around the Tagore statue. This is significant to the representation of Tagore because the shape symbolizes meditation and shows the balance of the universe. Which is a key representation of Tagore’s philosophies and scripture.

ARIA followed Espinal’s design from every detail to ensure that his vision came to life. Both worked diligently together to create this beautiful monument that is here to stay in Houston.

This monument is a huge accomplishment for ARIA Signs & Design because they got the chance to not only build a beautiful monument but also to be able to work with the community and give back an important piece of history that will stay for many years to come.