Concepts

Water melts and evaporates; it’s structure changing from densely packed ice to a diffused form as the molecules rise to meet the atmosphere.

Rain forms as clouds; droplets combine and fall, water travels in streams and rivers flowing to the ocean.

Water is life; the double helix of DNA representing the diversity of life on our planet, thriving on the presence of water.

Description
The main image shows the design for the atrium sculpture at Essex & Suffolk Water's  Hanningfield offices. The overall structure takes a swirling, spiralling form resonant with the movement of water.

The clear spheres suggest droplets of water, and also allude to the perpetual nature of the water cycle.

The Life Cycle proposal features many ideas that can be discovered through living with the sculpture, and getting to know its aspects will be an ongoing experience:
 

	H2O molecules The combination of each clear sphere with two smaller polished metal hemispheres matches the molecular structure of water - two Hydrogen atoms with one Oxygen atom. At the base of the sculpture these are packed closely together, like the structure of ice. Upwards throughout the sculpture, the spheres separate and finally disperse, representing the liquid and gaseous states of water. In this way, the sculpture celebrates water in all its forms.
	Biodiversity Within the clear spheres additional sculptures will be housed (these are not shown in the maquette due to scale). The smaller sculptures will represent the biodiversity in the local area. For example, microbes, newts, birds, and other wildlife. The three floors of the new building are to be themed woodland, wetland, grassland, so the sphere-sculptures viewable from each level will reflect these habitats.
	DNA The spheres are arranged in two spiralling strands, like the structure of DNA. This composition reinforces the concept that water is vital to all life.
	The Water Cycle The setting of the H2O spheres on spiral metal strands creates a sense of movement that can be read upwards as water evaporating and rising. It can also be read downwards as water falling as rain or snow. Read both ways, the sculpture demonstrates the large scale process of the water cycle.

The scale of the artwork is such that it may be appreciated from all levels, with different viewpoints yielding new details, allowing the sculpture to be enjoyed by all users of the Hanningfield site.

The approximate dimensions of the sculpture are:

Diameter:    4.2m
Height :      8.8m
Mass:         Not exceeding 2,000kg (including fixings).

 
Staff workshops
During the project, sculpture workshops will be run with E&SW staff to help make the designs for the 'sphere sculptures'. Card/wire sculptures will be constructed based on the themes of 'woodland, wetland, grassland'.

The Artist will develop ideas and designs from these workshops into metal sculptures for the atrium artwork. The finished models will be vacuum metallised - a process that produces a beautiful, highly reflective chrome-like surface (the maquette was finished with this process).
 

Materials
The principal material for the sculpture is grade 304 stainless steel. This will be chrome electropolished to produce a permanent, highly reflective smooth surface. Electropolishing provides an extremely robust finish that will not tarnish over the years.

The clear spheres will be UV stable acrylic/polycarbonate, blown to form spheres rather than constructed from hemispheres, so the finished pieces will be seamless. The fixings and apertures to the spheres will be concealed beneath the metal 'Hydrogen atom' hemispheres.

The wildlife sculptures housed within the spheres will protected from light damage, touch and dust.

 
Fabrication
The sculpture will be fabricated by the Artist at his studio. The principal structural sections will be accurately pre-curved by a specialist company, then be cut to length and have fixings welded in place.

Prior to installation, the components will be mechanically polished, then electropolished to remove all roughness and heat discolouration.

The spherical sections for the metal 'Hydrogen atoms' will be constructed from spun hemispheres, with the welded seams polished smooth.

Fixings for the main structure will be situated on the interior surfaces of the structural rings to reduce their visibility.

Fixings for the clear spheres will be concealed by the 'Hydrogen atoms' in the finished sculpture.