About
the Design
"When once you have tasted flight, you will forever walk
the earth with your eyes turned skyward, for there you have
been, and there you will always long to return."
— Leonardo da Vinci
"Geniusaurus
rex" was created by employees of Astorino, a Pittsburgh-based
architectural, engineering and interior design consulting
firm. The design was completed in a mere 7 days, thanks
to a team composed of artists with the specific talents required
to complete the dino within the time limit. Lead
Designer was James O'Toole, and the Design Team consisted
of Victor Beltran, Ornella Conti, Nina Thomson, and David
Goldberg.
Steel
and wood wings derived from da Vinci's flying machines rise
out of the body that becomes a canvas for da Vinci's creations.
The winged apparatus is the mechanism that enables the dinosaur
to fly. Metaphorically, the wings relate to the technologies
and processes that enable sick children to become well again,
as well as to the freedom and control gained through the apparatus.
The
body is transformed from something frightening into a canvas,
embodying the dreams of Leonardo da Vinci and the potential
to make the children's dreams reality. For the children at
Children's Hospital, their dreams may only be to return to
a normal, healthy life. With "Geniusaurus Rex,"
we hope to give them the inspiration to hope and to never
give up on their dreams, no matter how impossible they may
seem.
About
the Sponsaur
Astorino has been making news in the Pittsburgh region for
over 25 years, working on historic projects such as the Trimont
and the restoration of Fallingwater, as well as the PNC Firstside
Center.
Keeping
in mind the sponsor's vision and the intended charity, Children's
Hospital, the intent of this dinosaur was to give children
a vision of the impossible, a piece of art that will inspire
hope and stir their imaginations. The dinosaur speaks
to the idea of transformation — from sick to well, from
earthbound to flight, and from dreams to reality.
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