Client: Galeria Polnocna

Overview

WIR public sculpture, designed by Oskar Zięta, stands at the centre of Galeria Północna in Warsaw. It’s the tallest sculpture in Warsaw and the first manifesto of FiDU technology made on such a scale. Its unique, steel form is a fusion of contemporary art with architecture and parametric design. The central location of the sculpture makes it visible from all the floors. WIR brings the mall out of conventions of regular shopping centres. Many visitors come to see this unique piece of art standing out not only aesthetically but also for its construction and technology.

Goals

Galeria Północna is a prestigious spot for meetings and entertainment. The irregular structure of the sculpture encourages visitors to make frequent changes of observation point, hence boosting visits to the centre’s higher floors. WIR public sculpture was inspired by nature. Its five wavy, intertwining profiles curl around it like streams of water. Its form references natural whirls, and its main characteristics – variability. Lean, tampering profiles give the sculpture a subtle, delicate appearance, despite its true enormity. The sun, shining through the ceiling, reflects beautifully off its myriad surfaces.

Process

At the first design stage of the sculpture, we needed to establish what parameters were needed to generate the form. We then created custom software to allow modification of the design using Bezier curves. The shape of the WIR public sculpture was created using parametric design, with several generations of varied profile arrangements were created before selecting the final form. Parametrics also helped us effectively control the design process and prototype every stage.