Artists: Dean Colls and Louise Skace
Location: St Kilda, VIC
Public art transforms spaces, from towering sculptures to delicate installations. Behind these creations, structural engineers play a critical role, ensuring they are safe, stable, and enduring. Their work balances artistic vision with practical demands, making these pieces possible.
Structural engineers perform precise calculations to ensure sculptures can withstand environmental forces like wind, gravity, and public interaction. They select materials that align with the artist’s design while meeting safety standards. For example, a sky-high sculpture requires a robust foundation and load-bearing framework, while a lightweight installation might need flexible supports to sway safely.
Their expertise also ensures longevity. Public art faces weather, wear, and time, so engineers design with durability in mind, choosing corrosion-resistant materials or modular components for maintenance. Safety is paramount, engineers account for crowds, vibrations, and even accidental impacts to protect visitors.
This striking stainless steel and painted sculpture, standing at 1.6m x 2.5m x 5.8m, is the third in a series exploring the human condition. Warren and Mahoney Architects collaborated on the project, with installation expertly managed by JK Fasham. A key, often unseen, element of this project was the structural engineering provided by Partridge. Our team ensured the sculpture’s stability and integrity, crucial for a large-scale public artwork situated in an entry foyer of a luxury apartment block. Our role involved careful calculations and design considerations to withstand environmental factors and public interaction, guaranteeing the artwork’s longevity and safety.
