Western Specialty Contractors’ Austin, TX Branch recently restored the iconic “Angle aigu de 19.5 degrees” (Acute Angle of 19.5 Degrees) sculpture by French artist Bernar Venet in Austin, TX.
The large-scale steel artwork was permanently installed in 1986 on the exterior of an office building at 8911 N Capital of Texas Hwy, which Westech Corporation formerly owned. Affectionally referred to as “The Red Check,” the red-painted sculpture was one of Venet’s largest at the time it was made and served as an influential moment for the artist, who was exploring new possibilities for scale in his work.
Commercial property management firm Transwestern hired Western in March 2025 to recoat the 85-foot-tall, decorative sculpture.
Western’s restoration experts hand-abraded the sculpture’s surface using grinders to remove rust and other foreign debris, then applied a rust-inhibiting primer followed by a red-colored topcoat to the sculpture’s entire surface.
The work required Western’s crews to utilize a 135-foot boom lift to access all surfaces of the sculpture. Western’s crews performed meticulous calculations and measurements to determine the appropriately sized lift required to get the job done.
Western completed the project in a month, within budget, and to the customer’s satisfaction.
Have a project you need completed? Contact the Austin branch today
About Western Specialty Contractors
Family-owned and operated for more than 100 years, Western Specialty Contractors is the nation’s largest specialty contractor in masonry and concrete restoration, waterproofing, and specialty roofing. Western offers a nationwide network of expertise that building owners, engineers, architects, and property managers can count on to develop cost-effective, corrective measures that can add years of useful life to a variety of structures, including industrial, commercial, healthcare, historic, educational and government buildings, parking structures, and sports stadiums. Western is headquartered in St. Louis, MO, with 30 branch offices nationwide and employs more than 1,200 salaried and hourly professionals who offer the best, time-tested techniques and innovative technology. For more information about Western Specialty Contractors, visit https://westernspecialtycontractors.com.