Erected in the memory of the 31 British nationals who died as a result of the terrorist attacks in Sousse in June 2015 and the Bardo Museum attack in March 2015, m-tec were approached to fabricate a complex memorial sculpture, designed by George King Architects. The ‘Infinite Wave’ sculpture is a poignant reminder of those who lost their lives. The sculpture was unveiled by HRH The Duke of Sussex in a ceremony at the sculpture’s location in Birmingham’s Cannon Park.
Taking approximately 4 months to fabricate, the complex structure is made from 316 stainless steel schedule tubes. It was fabricated in three sections using specially designed jigs. Two end sections were welded and polished as a complete assembly and a middle section that was a series of individual polished tubes that connected the two ends.
The sculpture was a particularly complex design due to the fact that no two tubes were identical to each other. During the manufacturing process other challenges included maintaining the structural integrity of the fabrication, the complexity of safely transporting the sections due to the irregularity of each section, the positioning on site so that the middle sections fitted correctly and also the polishing of the sculpture both in the workshop and on site to achieve a crisp mirror finish.
George King, Principal of George King Architects said: “Throughout the design and construction process we have been acutely aware of the significance that this memorial has for the families who have lost loved ones, the survivors and the wider community. We put them and their experiences very much at the heart of the design concept. We have delivered a beautiful and poignant memorial that we hope will have a special place in people’s hearts for many years to come.”
The Braid Project, Blackburn