Custom decorative laminated glass and Alice® direct-to-glass printing helped transform Donald Lipski’s artistic vision into a lasting public landmark.
General Glass International (GGI) has been a proud sponsor of CODAsummit for many years, bringing their unique artist collaboration program to the CODAworx community. Through this program, artists are invited to submit designs for consideration to be printed on glass using GGI's patented Alice® GEN 3.0 digital ceramic printing process — a technology that empowers artists, architects and designers to manipulate art, color, light, and opacity on glass to animate space in ways previously unimaginable. It's a rare opportunity for artists to see their work transformed into an architectural medium with stunning effect. In that spirit, we're excited to share a recent project that showcases exactly what's possible when artistic vision meets GGI's cutting-edge fabrication and installation expertise — a landmark commission brought to life for celebrated artist Donald Lipski.
At first glance, LEAFY WADER appears to be an oversized desk lamp illuminated from within. Standing two stories tall above commuters at the new Downtown Federal Way Station in Washington State, the sculpture commands attention with its vibrant colors and stained-glass appearance.
Look more closely, however, and the installation reveals a sophisticated architectural glass system developed over nearly two years of collaboration between artist Donald Lipski and GGI (General Glass International).
Created as part of the Sound Transit Federal Way Link Extension project, LEAFY WADER pays tribute to the Pacific Northwest's rich glassmaking heritage. The artwork's name is an anagram of "Federal Way," and the illuminated lantern references the region's role as a center of contemporary American glass art influenced by Dale Chihuly and generations of artists who followed.
For Lipski, the project represented a first. While he has incorporated glass into his work for decades, LEAFY WADER marks his first substantial outdoor public artwork made of glass.
Reimagining Stained Glass for the Modern Era
The design team sought to recreate the visual character of a historic Tiffany-style stained-glass lamp using a contemporary laminated architectural glass system. The challenge required balancing artistic authenticity with the performance demands of an exterior public installation.
GGI worked closely with Lipski to develop material studies, print evaluations, finish samples, and full-scale mockups. Together, the team refined color, translucency, decorative layering, and illuminated performance before finalizing the design for fabrication.
The finished lantern consists of eight custom decorative laminated glass panels fabricated in oversized trapezoidal shapes measuring approximately 8 feet tall. Maintaining decorative alignment and color consistency across all panels required precise coordination throughout the fabrication process.
Building Depth Through Glass
To achieve the layered appearance associated with traditional stained glass, GGI utilized Alice® direct-to-glass printing technology and ceramic frit printing across multiple glass surfaces.
GGI’s Alice® direct-to-glass printing process incorporated first surface ceramic frit banding and "mock leading" details to simulate traditional lead lines. The additional third-surface printing introduced visual depth within the laminate assembly. The fourth surface of the laminated glass configuration utilized the glass fabricator’s Pearl™ Ultra satin-etched glass finish to soften transmitted light and reduce glare. (see figure 1 attached).
The resulting assembly creates the dimensional appearance of stained glass while utilizing modern architectural glazing materials and fabrication techniques.
Original stained-glass imagery served as the foundation for the artwork. The images were photographed, digitally manipulated, and reproduced using durable ceramic frit inks permanently fused into the glass during the tempering process.
Designed for Long-Term Exterior Performance
GGI fabricated each lite using two layers of 3/8-inch low-iron glass and 3/8-inch satin etched glass laminated with a SentryGlas® ionoplast interlayer. Low-iron glass helped preserve the clarity of the yellow and green color palette while minimizing the green cast associated with conventional clear glass. The ionoplast interlayer is a clearer and more durable interlayer that is ideal for exterior applications and weatherability.
The completed installation serves as both an illuminated public artwork and a structural laminated-glazing assembly. It demonstrates how decorative architectural glass can help artists translate complex creative visions into durable, large-scale public installations.
"Projects like LEAFY WADER showcase what's possible when artists and glass fabricators collaborate early in the design process," said Spencer Raymond, director of business development at GGI. "Alice® direct-to-glass printing allowed us to recreate the richness and depth of traditional stained glass while meeting the performance requirements of a modern exterior architectural installation."
Project: Leafy Wader, Sound Transit Federal Way Link Extension
Location: Federal Way Station, Federal Way, Washington Artist: Donald Lipski
Glass Fabrication: GGI (General Glass International) www.generalglass.com Photography: Mark Woods Photography
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