About

“I’ve spent the past twenty-seven years concentrating on glass as a material and exploring its expression in natural forms that are developed as a direct response to architecture. The sculptures are “echos” of the built environment, installations that derive their scale and contours from the building itself but are rendered in more ethereal and organic forms. I imagine these installations in “conversation” with the building, both sympathetic to its geometries but also acting as its counterpoint. In this way, my work talks to a client’s building. Not someone else’s building, not a type of building, but their building.”

— Nikolas Weinstein

 

Inspiration

Nature

I’m interested in how nature is built and moves; how honeycombs are both strong and light; how waters leave their trace in carved river banks. My goal is to bring these types of natural elements into the built environment; as if some invisible force has brought the architecture to life and expressed itself in glass.

Light

Because glass conducts light more efficiently than any other material, it is uniquely defined by and changed by it. Like a chameleon, these installations integrate with their environment by throwing back the colors that surround them such that a sculpture in the cool light of morning is completely different than one in the blush of dusk.

Architecture

I build sculptures that “talk” to buildings; that bring a sense of character or focus to a space by developing a conversation with its key elements, scales, and rhythms. I’m after installations that feel like they grow out of the architecture and are just as much a part of the space as the windows or columns.

Biography

Born in New York City, 1968, Nikolas Weinstein was raised in a creative environment with an architect father and sculptor mother. He developed his fascination with natural forms through early internships at the American Museum of Natural History there and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in California. This interest in organic structures and patterns would later profoundly influence his artistic approach and aesthetic sensibilities. 

After studying comparative literature at Brown University, Weinstein discovered his passion for glassblowing and established his studio in San Francisco in 1991. His breakthrough came in 1996 when architect Frank O. Gehry commissioned him to create a massive chandelier for the DZ Bank building in Berlin. The project launched his career in creating monumental glass sculptures that integrate seamlessly with architectural spaces.

Known for his innovative techniques, Weinstein pioneered the design and use of custom-built kilns and computer-controlled systems to manipulate glass. His work is characterized by its scale, technical complexity, and responsiveness to architectural environments. His installations, often weighing several tons, can be found in prestigious locations worldwide, with a particular concentration across the Asian regions. Notable projects include the world's largest glass sculpture—standing nearly eight stories tall—and an installation for the Grand Ballroom of Norman Foster's Capella Hotel on Sentosa Island, Singapore - the flagship property that launched the Capella brand to the world. 

Now operating from studios in San Francisco and New York, Weinstein and his interdisciplinary team of glassblowers, engineers, and programmers push the boundaries of what's possible with glass; creating increasingly ambitious and complex works. 

The work challenges what is possible with glass.