Multiform gauze installation to adorn a public square in Espoo
This public artwork made of metal wire-mesh is located on the Vaakunatori square in Espoo, Finland.
Its outer measures are 10 x 5 x 6 m. The sculpture consists of 8,826 m of 8-mm steel bars, 8.6 tons of stainless steel, and a surface area of 425 m2.
Ramboll Finland provided structural design for the piece based on a 3D draft model created by sculptor Vesa-Pekka Rannikko. Ramboll analyzed the sculpture’s constructability and structural safety in close cooperation with the artist.
The design process kicked off in January 2019, and the installation is to be completed during 2020. Its challenging shape required creating a sophisticated 3D model to help with general planning, structural design, quantity surveying, and assembly drawings. The Tekla Live Link component was utilized comprehensively to create a Tekla model from a parametric Rhino model. According to Ramboll Finland, the development of Tekla Live Link has revolutionized working with complex forms in Tekla Structures.
Major challenges include complex form and the number of items to model
The main challenge of the project was to tackle the complex form of the sculpture and to model a large number of components. Although most of the parts were freeform, the structure also included plenty of simple elements which were quick to model and detail using Tekla Structures (2018).
The use of BIM was key in the project. Tekla Live Link enabled combining the best qualities of Rhino and Tekla software so that Rhino was used for modeling the complex geometry and Tekla to accurately detail the structure.
Reference data for the sculpture was exchanged in STP format. The re-design was performed real-time in close cooperation with the sculptor using the form-finding tool in Grasshopper, after which the shape was exported to Tekla Structures for more accurate detailing.
Ramboll’s custom Grasshopper Definitions were used in the project. Information about detailing was exchanged in IFC format and in the form of DWG drawings and PDF illustrations. LUSAS software was used to perform structural analysis and calculation. The client received both the drawings and the building information model of the artwork. AutoCAD was also used in detailing and general planning during the project.
Project parties
Urban and structural design and detailing: Ramboll Finland Oy
Sculptor: Vesa-Pekka Rannikko
