Hummingbird

Abstract

A Halifax art gallery commissioned a colorful architectural installation 9.14m high to celebrate the new millennium and the evolution of the work is described. The work is ephemeral and explores new forms in lightweight structures, moving on from the work of Frei Otto's German pavilion at Expo '67, Montreal, and the Munich Olympics stadium, 1972. It is comprised of fabric and dynamically curved wooden forms, eliminating straight lines entirely. Other influences in the creation of the installation are traced - Thonet, Alvar Aalto, Buro Happold and Richard Kroeker. The method by which the green wood is formed into curves is detailed, using molds for cold forming the timber and dry lamination with nails. Continuity was achieved by staggering the splices. The relationship between the wooden structure and the fabric nets which have been used is discussed, and the color scheme and attachment process have been designed by Toshiko Horiushi, a Japanese textile artist whose company, Interplay Design and Manufacturing, produces tensile play spaces. Public perceptions of the work are reported, and its naming, "Hummingbird".