FLIGHT
a facade relief - aluminium, stainless steel, 14.00/6.00/1.00 m. - Burgas, Bulgaria
Commission:
The sculpture was commissioned by Balkan Airlines for its hotel in Bourgas, catering to the staff and guests of the airline. The relief is positioned on the hotel façade as a horizontal composition, balancing the vertical of the main building.
Parameters:
The main requirement is that the sculpture blends with the concrete architectural environment. The entrance part of the hotel represents a body on whose front part (façade) the relief has to be situated, its image hinting at the activity of the company.
Inspiration:
In Bulgaria flying, as well as aircraft manufacture, has a long history and hence the choice of an biplane speaks of traditions in this sphere. Balkan is the oldest Bulgarian airline company. The hotel has a compact architecture and this is why a relief, romantic in its vision, lends charm and uniqueness to the building.
Aim:
The aim of the author is to visualise the beauty of flight and man’s eternal dream to conquer the air. The feeling of the enveloping wind and the clouds that sweep in from all sides is bewitching and people will always succumb to it. The old plane allowed the pilot direct contact with the air and a feeling of the boundlessness of space and man’s inseparable link with the skies. This link between past and present is particularly important because it creates a sense of security and trust, which not everybody experiences when the law of gravity is defied.
Structure of the project:
The sculpture represents a link between two spaces – the front entrance and the hotel lobby. The whole composition is asymmetrical and its diagonal design enhances the sensation of the upward swerving of the plane, as if flying above our heads to greet us. The constructive nature of the image is a splendid sculptural interpretation of the magnificent flying machines of the last century. The relief consists of a bearing construction, which establishes the link between the building and the image depicting the idea.
Materials:
The relief is made of duraluminium and stainless steel, two extremely solid modern materials, widely used in aircraft construction. The use of aluminium lends softness and beauty to the sculptural relief.