Tom Fruin Streetcar Sculpture Fabrication at Chevy Chase Lake
LOCATION: Chevy Chase, Maryland
DESIGN: A train-inspired public sculpture by Tom Fruin, composed of curved black steel and vivid translucent panels that transform the form of a streetcar into a glowing architectural landmark.
Tom Fruin Streetcar sculpture with colorful translucent panels at Chevy Chase Lake
Serett helped bring artist Tom Fruin’s Streetcar to life at Chevy Chase Lake in Chevy Chase, Maryland, translating the romance of a historic train car into a vivid public sculpture of steel, color, light, and movement. The artist lists Streetcar as a permanent sculpture installation at Chevy Chase Lake, completed in August 2023.
The finished piece has the presence of a remembered city object: part trolley, part pavilion, part glowing architectural landmark. A black steel frame gives the sculpture its structure and silhouette, while a field of translucent color fills the body and roof with jewel-like panels of red, blue, yellow, green, orange, pink, and clear textured material. During the day, the piece catches natural light like a stained-glass canopy. In the evening, it becomes warmer and more atmospheric, casting the feel of a small urban lantern into the surrounding plaza.
The sculpture is modeled after a train, but it avoids nostalgia in the obvious sense. Its rounded ends, arched window openings, curved roof, wheel forms, and bench-like details suggest the language of transit without becoming a literal replica. It feels familiar, but not ordinary. It invites people to walk through it, sit near it, photograph it, and experience the plaza through shifting color and shadow.
Behind the finished artwork is a demanding fabrication process. The project required a large-scale custom steel structure, curved metal framing, arched roof sections, tight panel layouts, shop assembly, finish work, transportation coordination, and on-site installation. The frame had to support the visual delicacy of the colored panels while standing up to the realities of a permanent outdoor public artwork.
For Serett, the project reflects the kind of work that sits between architecture, sculpture, and fine fabrication. It is public art with structural discipline. It is ornamental, but not decorative in a shallow way. It is engineered, but still full of softness, color, and memory.
This project highlights Serett’s capabilities in custom metal fabrication, public art fabrication, architectural steelwork, curved steel structures, sculptural installations, artist collaboration, and high-end custom fabrication for civic, residential, hospitality, and mixed-use environments.
