Stainless steel sculpture of billowing sails backlit by a soft sunset

Close up of reflective marine-grade stainless steel panels in the sculpture's framework

Close up of the towering sails of David Harber's Spinnaker's sculpture

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 32ft tall 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 by 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, 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.