Stone Sculpture in the Cotswolds

A small village near Burford in the Cotswolds, hosts a biennial sculpture exhibition in their grounds and some rooms. The exhibition has been running since 2000 and attracts over 8000 visitors each exhibition. The next exhibition will run from 12 June to 10 July 2022.

SWJ Consulting were asked to design a steel frame to pick up a stone sculpture and suspend it about 2 meters off the ground. This project was very interesting in terms of the design as the height of the suspended piece would be 4m and so would be affected by the wind. The suspended sculpture comes down to a point on the ground.

We had to look carefully at the detailing and the fixing as we needed to ensure the frame was as slim as possible, and not obvious, so as not to distract from the sculpture’s aesthetics. The ‘slim’ steel design needed to be strong enough that it wouldn’t bend in any condition, this included taking wind load into consideration – as it was outside in the elements.

Our solution, which took some thinking about, the client suggested a more obvious steel frame at the front of the sculpture, but we designed a solution that included a frame on the back of the sculpture to stop the wind from pulling it out. We used discrete 80mm steel fixings at an angle, so you only see the back of the angle and slotted connections to ensure a good tight fit.

If you have an unusual project that needs structural support then give us a call on 01993 225085 or email mail@swjconsulting.co.uk to discuss your project and find out what foundation solution would be most appropriate and cost-effective for your project.

Project Team

Client: Private