GRAND CANAL VENCE
Grand Canal Vence
| Project: | Grand Canal Vence |
| Client: | Damita Yu |
| Date: | 22 February 2010 |
| Duration: | |
 Download PDF |
|
|
When architect Damita Yu entered a competition to create a pedestrian bridge spanning a disconnected portion of the Grand Canal in Venice, she needed a very high quality model to do her complex design justice. In the spirit of the city's famous Rialto Bridge, the new structure was to be inhabitable and serve as temporary gallery venue during the Biennale and for seasonal art events. Construction of the main section was to be from smooth and rough-hewn Istrian stone that is characteristic of Venice. But to give a much greater sense of lightness than such building materials would suggest, the bridge thrusts upwards and across the canal in a very contemporary form. Flanking the stone structure are separate glass walkways which afford unique views over the crowd and framed views through the patterned facade, as Yu intended her bridge to be a unique space where local people and visitors might meet and interact. As Damita Yu had only a very limited budget with which to produce a high quality model, Ogle guided the designer on the best, most cost-effective technology to employ. We recommended that the internal structure be made in a clear material utilising one of our stereolithography (SLA) machines, which is a 3D process using a solid state laser to draw the model, one slice at a time, onto a UV photopolymer resin. This gave Yu the impressive level of accuracy and detailing she was looking for, which we then hand-finished and lacquered. The next stage required one of Ogle's highly skilled model makers to source a very thin balsa wood that could be cut and wrapped around the SLA, producing a finished result that clearly presented the intricacy and beauty of Damita Yu's submitted design. |
|