Envivo’s Structural Engineering team recently completed work on Auckland’s latest public art installation, Lang Ea’s stunning new circular polished stainless steel sculpture, Beacon, located in Milford Reserve.
Envivo was commissioned by artist Lang Ea in early 2019 after an earlier association with her during the ‘Sculpture in the Gardens’ exhibition in 2018 when we provided structural design and construction phase monitoring services. The sculpture comprises a stainless steel 2.5m diameter hollow disk with a 1.0m diameter drum cut through the centre in the shape of a Camellia flower.
Lang Ea says: “This sculpture symbolises and reflects the significant and courageous achievements of the suffragettes more than a century ago and lights the way for women in the present and future.”
The disk and drum have internal gussets and a stiffening plate to give the sculpture lateral and linear strength. The narrow stiffening plate allows the disk to appear to balance onto the ground with only its edge in contact with the foundation pad.
The sculpture was fully welded together by Global Stainless Ltd in Hawera in a sequence where all external welds were ground back and mirror polished to provide an exceptional finish.
The foundation pad is flush with the ground and has a carefully sawcut exposed aggregate surface to complement the sculpture. Uplights are embedded into the pad to provide a dramatic effect at night enhanced by the purple tinted Camellia flower.
Envivo thoroughly enjoyed collaborating with Auckland Council, Lang Ea, Global Stainless Ltd and Contrax Ltd in assisting with the success of this beautiful new public artwork.
