Slipstream Installation at Heathrow Airport Terminal 2
Richard Wilson has developed Slipstream, a gigantic public sculptural work set to be the longest permanent sculpture in Europe to be installed in the central court of London’s Heathrow Terminal 2 planned for August 2013. The installation is estimated to be the size of one A380 Airbus aeroplane weighing seventy-seven tons, and will appear to hover six to twenty metres above the ground of the bustling airport passage point, suspended from four roof support columns.
Slipstream is comprised of 1.1 kilometre of 1.5 metre aluminium roll, equaling 1,650 square metres, weighing 77 tonnes. The twisted shape of the massive artwork takes its form from the zivko edge 540 flown by world champion air racer British pilot Paul Bonhomme.
“Imagine filling the vast void of the central court of Heathrow Terminal 2 with clay. now imagine a stunt plane moving through this mass of clay, somersaulting, spiralling, twisting and climbing. The spinning plane would create a void to be filled with fast setting plaster. When hard, imagine the hall is excavated of all clay to leave a suspended plaster form. Imagine what this solid but fluid shape of the movement of the plane through space could look like built from, steel, wood and aluminium!” -said Richard Wilson.
The sculpture was selected as the winning design of Future City‘s International competition.
More information on Home Couture.
