The NAWA sculpture is a part of the European Capital of Culture 2016 celebrations, whose main slogan is “metamorphoses of culture”, i.e. shifts occurring in the domain of culture, communities and the city itself.
The idea of metamorphosis itself also underlies the NAWA sculpture.
The space is currently being revitalized and very soon will serve the city, becoming a bustling, open space for meetings, concerts and artistic events.
Sculpture along with planned vegetation will create a consistent organic unity, emerging naturally from the river. At the same time, the realization will fit perfectly into the architectural order of the area and its vibrant life, full of tourists and passers-by.
NAWA is the manifesto of the innovative use for the traditional arch form, which was made possible by FiDU, the innovative technology invented by Oskar Zięta. It allows to distort the shapes of steel elements welded together. Thanks to “inflating” it with compressed air, the metal forms become durable and stable, maintaining its lightness at the same time.
NAWA is the first FiDU construction on such a large scale. Therefore, it will become a manifesto of this innovative technology. As the final effect the NAWA is the ultralight, durable construction made up of 35 steel arches making the openwork gate through which any can walk freely.
The organic arches are the result of parametric design. Thanks to the initial parameters, the final shapes fulfill practical goals, such as optimal size, weight, adaptation to the environment. The NAWA design required advanced calculations and modelling in Grasshopper software, which allowed to generate 60 blocks. Their shape was accommodated to the terrain and surroundings.
Received bionic form and polished surface reflecting the surroundings create the effect of naturaly growing sculpture with constantly changing look through the day and gives amazing game of lights at any time of the day. Bionic shapes establish the impression that the sculpture grows straight from the ground.
Simultaneously, the construction based on the arches relates to the monuments nearby: The Ossolineum, The church’s tower at Piasek, Wrocław Market Hall and Ostrów Tumski.
Revitalization
NAWA opens another chapter in the history of the Daliowa Island, returning it to the dwellers of Wroclaw. The space is currently being revitalized and very soon will serve the city, becoming a bustling, open space for meetings, concerts and artistic events.
Sculpture along with planned vegetation will create a consistent organic unity, emerging naturally from the river. At the same time, the realization will fit perfectly into the architectural order of the area and its vibrant life, full of tourists and passers-by. Source by Zięta.
- Location: Daliowa Island, Poland
- Architect: Oskar Zięta
- Area: 100 m2
- Hieght: 7 m
- Steel: 52,000 kg
- Year: 2017
- Photographs: Courtesy of Zięta
