The Spinnakers
Port St Lucie, Florida
This arresting nautical sculpture was designed to welcome residents and visitors to Port St Lucie on Florida’s east coast. Named The Spinnakers, the design draws inspiration from Port St Lucie’s proximity to the wild Atlantic Ocean and the city’s illustrious maritime heritage.
The 32-foot abstract piece has been shaped into three billowing sails of polished stainless steel. The inside edges are painted blue to create a subtle contrast with the highly reflective mirrored exterior, which makes the sculpture as alluring by day as it is lit up at night.
Design details
Discovery
To reflect Port St Lucie’s long and fruitful relationship with the Atlantic Ocean, we wanted to design a piece that playfully represented billowing sails. The sculpture needed to be defiant in the face of the elements whilst maintaining a sense of levity, even fragility. Maritime energy frozen in time.
Design
Working with our structural engineers, we ensured the sculpture would be able to withstand 150mph winds, which was a building requirement set by the state. However, midway through the project the limit was increased to 180mph, and we had to re-engineer elements of the design. Before shipping, we put the finished components together using cranes and cherry pickers, documenting the assembly in detail with videography and photos.
Development
We planned to install the piece ourselves, but COVID-19 struck and we had to quickly come up with an alternative solution. We employed a state-side rig contractor who managed to seamlessly install The Spinnakers using extensive video footage and step-by-step photography from our test assembly. We also made sure he had 24-hour support from our design engineer, Richard.
The magic of conversation
Whether you’ve decided on a piece, or you just want to sound out any aspect of our work, then please do get in touch.
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