Reflecting The Changing Nature Of The Island
NAWA is part of revitalization programme for Daliowa Island the smallest of over a dozen islands in downtown Wrocław. Aim of the programme was to turn neglected and forgotten space into an open area for meetings, concerts, and artistic events, thus a reclamation to city inhabitants.
▼Overall View Of The Space
▼Urban Context
This architectural, public sculpture consists of 35 bionic steel arches referring in form to the shape of the island and most of all to construction of nearby historic architecture of Ostrów Tumski originally established in XI century. The arches together create an ultralight, durable construction, its mirror polished surface that reflects the surroundings and gives the effect of a naturally growing sculpture that changes throughout the day and seasons.
▼Sketches
▼35 Arches Together Create An Ultralight, Durable Construction
▼Mirror-Polished Stainless Steel Surface
NAWA is the crowning piece of celebrating European Capital of Culture Wrocław 2016. The inspiration for use of arc construction was inspired by nearby Cathedral of St. John the Baptist, Market Hall, The Ossolineum and its library. The form of bionic arch goes along with shape of the very island and aligns with the surrounding architecture.
▼Close Views To The Sculpture
Designed shape of the object was divided into individual pieces with original algorithms and in specialist software for parametric design. It allows us to adjust the force arrow and optimize production, transport, and endurance on the basis of real time (FEM Simulation).
▼3d Printed Prototypes
Due to the location and size of the sculpture, individual arches were executed in the old dockyard, located north of the city, and delivered riverine on barges directly to Daliowa Island.
▼Transport
The sculpture was made with original FiDU technology (free inner pressure forming) which allows us to create tailored, adjusted to force arrow, ultralight construction elements in sheet metal. Bionic arches were cut out and welded along the edges, then inflated with compressed air. It allows us to change flat 2D objects into durable and light 3D forms.
▼Free Inner Pressure Forming
▼Production And Installation
The mirror polished stainless steel has a slightly wavy surface that resembles the surface of the water , reflecting everything around and changing throughout the day and seasons. NAWA is the first object made with FiDU technology for such an immense scale and also its manifesto. The initially controversial project became a popular spot for meetings, photos, and artistic events.
▼Sculpture And People’s Activities
Since its unveiling in June 2017, the sculpture has been gaining recognition in architectural spaces and attracting the attention of critics and the most influential portals from around the world. During the finals of the competition organized by the Architektura-Murator magazine, she was chosen as the most innovative Polish architectural project of 2017. In December 2018, the sculpture was nominated for the European Union Prize for Contemporary Architecture Mies van der Rohe Award 2019 one of the most important and prestigious architectural awards in the world.
▼Night View
