Public art writ large
Client:Make
Project:Building cladding
Role:Print and manufacturing
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Amid the brouhaha surrounding many public works of art, other artists are quietly getting on with major compositions funded by private interests. One such is the recently unveiled Bramah, Grosvenor Waterside, on the edge of the Thames bordering Chelsea and Pimlico.
The cladding system of 5,361 unique anodised aluminium panels is etched in a design by artist Clare Woods, transforming the entire facade into the canvas for a monumental public art work.
By far the most stiking aspect of the building is the cladding design. Woods' work takes the form of a semi-abstract pattern of tree-like shapes appearing to grow over the surface of the building. At ten storeys high it is a stunning work which has a big impact on an otherwise unimposing part of the embankment opposite Battersea power station.
NES used 3-D modelling techniques working with Make to create a manufacturing solution to a project which looked like a logistical nightmare.
Each panel was patterned, cut, and shaped using a CAD/CAM manufacturing process. The same approach was used for profile cut balconies, bespoke extruded window assemblies and balcony trims, along with all the brackets and mounting associated with a high-tech concealed fixing system.
Installation was eased by a unique numbering system to ensure the abstract pattern appeared exactly as artist and architect intended.
The shot peened, anodised finish, a first in ACM cladding, gives the artwork a long lifetime well beyond the 35 years which Make envisaged.