Client: TORONTO RAPTORS PUBLIC TRAINING FACILITY

Overview

Designed by artist Niall McClelland, these five outdoor sculptures are on display at the new state-of-the-art Raptors’ Training Facility—Toronto’s professional NBA team. Built using a mandrel bending process on 1/4”-thick by 4”-diameter industrial-steel pipe, they ranged in size from over 15 feet long and up to 11 feet tall. Each had approximately six unique custom bends, with a rolled steel backboard and 1” round bar hoop. Engineered, fabricated, and installed by Eventscape, they were finished with a four-part custom-colored epoxy-finish coating.

Process

The initial design needed to be adapted slightly to the limitations of radius possible with this rugged industrial-pipe material. In order to achieve the complex twists and turns of the design, single-axis elbows were assembled in a rotated plane. The Eventscape fabrication team worked closely with the artist to evaluate each unit, realizing the complexity while staying on budget. This unique solution was a combination of CNC detailing, an industrial bending process, and the skill of hand craftsmanship to build visually seamless twisted sculptures.