Grand Vision

Since it opened for business in summer 2014, more than 20 million people have used the new Terminal 2, The Queen’s Building, at Heathrow Airport. All of them, me included, would have seen Europe’s longest permanent sculpture; Slipstream, by Richard Wilson RA. It measures 80 meters in length, weighs 77 tonnes, and is suspended from 4 of the elegant buildings’ slim columns.

Because Slipstream contains 30,000 unique parts and uses more than 300,000 visible rivets, complexity is inherent to the sculpture and its placement. Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE Platform technology was instrumental in bringing this grand artistic vision, with its manifold technical challenges, to life.

For the sculpture a spiraling stunt plane’s motion was captured and digitised to produce the form. That data was used to develop a 3D CAD model with Dassault Systèmes 3DEXPERIENCE Technology. The software generated thousands of unique forms that when cut from plywood and fixed together replicated the shape of the spinning plane’s slipstream. The same software was used to generate the sculpture’s riveted metal skin.

With echoes of 1930’s futurist sculpture or a huge whale suspended in a museum, Slipstream celebrates a romantic and heroic era with a big wow factor. Its sheer volume takes the breath away and also raises a smile with its references to comic illustrations that use lines behind people to indicate speed.

Hold That

Part of the wonder of the piece is that it seems to float although its huge bulk and metal exterior indicate its great weight. The construction team used 3D technology not just to create the form but also to produce that very effect. Special fixtures were developed to hold the piece to its columns and to itself. Significant digital and physical testing was carried out to ensure the greatest dramatic effect was coupled with maximum strength.

The use of a single digital model ensured that the artist’s design intent was retained during Slipstream’s development. This meant that engineering issues, such as structural integrity, exact fit, alignment and centre of gravity were fully understood and resolved digitally before the physical form, comprising 23 separate sections, was made (in Hull), delivered and installed.

By using the same 3D software application that is used to design and build the aeroplanes on the runway, many of the cars in the car parks and the goods in the terminal’s retail spaces, a successful outcome was assured. This is because potential problems of such an epic undertaking were discovered and digitally overcome in advance of any physical production. This saves time, reduces risk and results in better outcomes for all concerned.

This is an example of experiences enhancing lives. Without the sculpture it’s just another airport terminal. With Slipstream the travel experience is greatly improved. It sparks the imagination and sense of awe at what can be achieved when art and technology combine.