Minnesota State Capitol: The Gold Star Military Table

Project overview

The Gold Star Table was the final piece of the Minnesota Military Family tribute installed at the Minnesota State Capitol, recognizing Gold Star Families who have lost a loved one while serving our country. Honoring these families who are reminded every day of their loss when they see an empty chair at their own dinner tables, the Gold Star Table made of bronze stands as a symbol that they will one day be reunited. The table’s five-pointed base represents the Gold Star, while northern hemisphere constellations shine through the table’s surface to symbolize a constant navigational guide home

Project Scope

MG McGrath fabricated and installed the custom-built Gold Star Table, made of 400 square feet of  Bronze. To create the 8-foot tabletop, MG McGrath worked with HFW Friction Stir Welding to friction stir weld two sheets of the quarter-inch bronze together, and the welded surface was then water-jetted by MN Water Jet to create its perforations and etchings. The table’s exterior features our own custom Tanami bronze finish, and the interior bowl of its base is brighter in color with a non-directional and clear-coated finish. High definition LED lights were hard-fastened to the underside of the tabletop, lighting up at night to shine through the surface and illuminate the North Star perforation and etchings of the northern hemisphere’s constellations