Canopy over the bunker 2019

This project first began in the summer of 2018, the opportunity had endless potential but also a budget. A simple elegant solution to the brief took time to develop but in came to life in October 2019. 

A client was in touch so show me these circa 1850 war bunker walls that were unearthed in their garden, which presented perfect opportunity for an installation. The proposal was a 'sculptural' but not functional canopy over their existing seating area to create a sense of enclosure and compliment the heavy, rough walls as well as fill a lacking spot in the gardens environment. The non symmetric arrangement of the bunker and orientation toward the house called for a free flowing frame that softened the harsh edges and invited your presence underneath. 

Many designs were considered, but with budget in mind I proposed an on site build that utilized hand bending and rolling techniques, exactly like my smaller sculptures. The build took just over 2 weeks of on site building to complete, following over a year of designing and multiple renditions of the scale model. The reinforced concrete walls proved a challenge and professional drilling was required. Each piece of stainless steel tube was meticulously crafted and shaped by eye by myself and a team, before finally being welded in situ and then set into the concrete with epoxy. The stainless steel tube now sits calmly, glowing in the sunshine and illuminating above nightime spotlights.

A collection of behind the scenes videos can be viewed on the 'highlights' section on my instagram.