Quill by Christian Moeller wraps around the Dominion Energy Substation in the bustling Rosslyn neighborhood of Arlington, Virginia. This 184 foot x 18.5 foot dynamic pixelated artwork is made of nearly 20,000 reflective discs composed into a pattern inspired by eagle feathers and mounted on aluminum panels. It celebrates the bald eagle’s successful return to the banks of the Potomac River after years of threatened extinction.  During the day, the discs appear light green with changing pearlescent shades revealed as the viewer moves along the street. At night, the artwork turns into a vibrant play of color, reflecting the surrounding traffic lights – a visual performance created entirely by the reflection and amplification of its urban nighttime environment without the need for any outside energy source. 

The artwork was commissioned by Monday Properties, who agreed to re-clad the adjacent two-and-a-half-story 1960s-style substation as part of their development at 1812 N. Moore Street. Via worked with Monday Properties to help them find the right artist for this prominent public art project. We worked closely with the selected artist Christian Moeller to shepherd his design through Arlington County’s approval processes and to bring the project to fruition.  Quill was recognized as one of the year’s best public artworks by the Americans for the Arts Public Art Network Year in Review 2015 and won a DESIGNArlington Award of Excellence in 2017.