Architect: Dean Colls
Location: St Kilda, VIC
Installed along St Kilda Road, Endurance by Dean Colls is a four-metre bronze sculpture that sits directly within the public realm. Colls uses the modest form of a pair of fish to explore vulnerability, stoicism and collective existence. Positioned slightly at odds with one another, the sardines appear both displaced and at home within the eclectic character of St Kilda.
Because of its semi-accessible location from the awning below, the structural design needed to consider more than just the weight of the artwork itself. For safety we had to consider the possible scenario of someone potentially attempting to climb the art piece.
The exposed nature of the site meant wind loading was another key consideration. Conditions along St Kilda Road can be affected by surrounding buildings and its proximity to the bay. The support system was designed to resist both wind loads in line with the relevant Australian Standards.
The sculpture connects to an existing base structure, so close coordination with the project’s base build structural engineer was essential. We reviewed how loads would transfer into the supporting structure and confirmed it had sufficient capacity to accommodate the artwork under different loading scenarios. This ensured the sculpture could be safely integrated without affecting the building’s overall performance.
Durability was also central to the detailing. In a marine-influenced environment near Port Phillip Bay, dissimilar metals can react over time and cause corrosion. To prevent this, the bronze elements were carefully isolated from other metals within the concealed connection details, protecting the work for the long term.
Throughout the process, we worked closely with the artist to ensure the structural requirements did not interrupt the visual reading of the piece.
The structural solution enables this quiet tension to sit confidently within the public realm, supporting an artwork that engages both physically and conceptually with its environment.
