Within the realm of contemporary sculpture, Richard Wilson’s technically wondrous creations force us to rethink our ideas of space, perspective, material and structure. Which is why Heathrow Airport needed little coaxing when it came to choosing the British-born artist to create an installation for the soon-to-be renovated Terminal 2.
Sporting a dramatic wave-like roof, the shiny new terminal – which is due to open in 2014 - is swiftly taking shape under the direction of Foster + Partners, in collaboration with Luis Vidal and HETCo. The new space will feature a central light-filled courtyard (similar in size to the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall) in which Wilson’s oscillating structure, titled ‘Slipstream’, will be suspended 20m above the ground.
‘This work is a metaphor for travel,’ says Wilson of the design. ‘It is a journey from A to B, where sensations of velocity, acceleration and de-acceleration follow us at every undulation.’
Inspired by photographer Eadweard Muybridge, whose series ‘Human figure in Motion’ captured moving moments, Wilson’s mission was to create a sculpture that did just that. ‘If you set your lens at one-thousandth of a second, you can capture that wonderful moment in time,’ explains Wilson.
Using the somersaulting, spiralling and twisting motions of a small stunt plane in flight, Wilson started off with a series of sketches and then enlisted the help of structural engineers Price & Myers as well as specialist fabricators Commercial Systems International (CSI), who used aeronautical computer technology to translate his concept into a three-dimensional reality.
Measuring over 70 metres long and weighing in at 77 tonnes, the larger-than-life creation will be formed by a wooden skeleton covered in plywood, while the external layer will be fashioned out of semi-polished aluminium. ‘A very elegant sculpture, with a streamlined, undulating surface that reflects the light in all sorts of ways,’ says Wilson of his creation. 'The riveted aluminium surface will highlight the contours of the piece.’
Wilson’s sculptures never cease to inspire and provoke, and ‘Slipstream’ is bound to be a visual delight, reminding us that the boundaries as we know them are only the beginning.
Sporting a dramatic wave-like roof, the shiny new terminal – which is due to open in 2014 - is swiftly taking shape under the design work of Foster Partners, in collaboration with Luis Vidal and HETCo
The new space will feature a central light-filled courtyard (similar in size to the Tate Modern’s Turbine Hall) in which Wilson’s oscillating structure, titled ‘Slipstream’, will be suspended 20m above the ground
Inspired by photographer Eadweard Muybridge, whose series ‘Human figure in Motion’, captured moving moments, Wilson’s mission was to create a sculpture that did just that
Using the somersaulting, spiralling and twisting motions of a small stunt plane in flight, Wilson started off with a series of sketches
One of Wilson's original sketches depicting a plane in motion
He then enlisted the help of structural engineers Price & Myers as well as specialist fabricators Commercial Systems International (CSI) who used aeronautical computer technology to translate his concept into a three dimensional reality
The three dimensional stage after the sketches, showing the mathematical process used to create the final models and renderings
The final solid model, created to the same scale used in aeroplane designs
A view of the solid model from underneath
The final rendering showing the plane's movement, depicting its undulations, twistings and spirallings and eventually, the beginning of the sculpture. 'Once out the other side, imagine the vast void left by the plane’s path is filled with fast-setting plaster, therefore making the void the solid,' explains Wilson
-
At La Fondation hotel in Paris, minimalism has irresistible warmthOnce a parking lot, this 17th-arrondissement stay now offers rooftop city views, cocooning suites, and interiors by Roman & Williams
-
How LA's Terremoto brings 'historic architecture into its next era through revitalising the landscapes around them'Terremoto, the Los Angeles and San Francisco collective landscape architecture studio, shakes up the industry through openness and design passion
-
The anatomy of a Celine bag: inside the house’s idyllic Tuscan factoryWallpaper* visits the serene Italian factory where Celine crafts its celebrated ‘Triomphe’ handbags, which is set against an inspiring backdrop of lush Tuscan countryside
-
How do you modernise a home without making it feel modern? This farmhouse renovation is a stunning case studyA 300-year-old English farmhouse has been given a new lease of life while staying true to the old ways
-
Step inside a neoclassical-inspired apartment in The Whiteley’s clock towerSituated within London’s former Whiteleys department store, this newly unveiled residence combines Italian elegance, courtesy of furnishings by Maxalto, with architectural heritage
-
Studiomama’s cast faces capture a sense of childlike joyMade in collaboration with one of London’s last traditional foundries, the studio’s ‘Face Castings’ series explores play, perception and the enduring influence of Bruno Munari
-
Jessica Anne Woodley’s ‘joyfully imperfect’ furniture seeks your inner childThe designer is launching GliFfY, a furniture studio offering playful forms that reflect on her personal growth
-
The Stuff That Surrounds, episode two: Inside the home of Vyrao founder Yasmin SewellIn The Stuff That Surrounds, Wallpaper* explores a life through objects. For our second episode, we’re invited into the fragrance founder and CEO’s viridescent London home
-
Haller-lujah! USM is reimagined by Buchanan StudioThe Swiss modular furniture brand has collaborated for the first time with a UK-based design studio, and the tessellating results are spectacular
-
Tour the Italian ambassador’s redesigned London apartmentNick Vinson is behind the dazzling overhaul of this ambassador’s apartment, a happy marriage of past and present, and a celebration of Italy’s rich design legacy
-
Discover midcentury treasures in Marylebone with Álvaro by AppointmentLondon is full of sequestered design havens, and Wallpaper* knows them all. Allow us to point you in the direction of Álvaro González’s shop window on Nottingham Place, home to a bonanza of beautiful 20th-century antiques
