Cloud Cities Barcelona

[Catalonia] Artist: Tomás Saraceno

Year
2022 Client
Mediapro

Tagged:
Art Installations

The realisation of Tomás Saraceno’s vision appears to float effortlessly, like a cloud, at the top of Mirador Torre Glòries, providing visitors with 360° city-scape views of Barcelona. Climbing the sculpture is an unusual, fun and exhilarating experience, especially if you’re sitting on a see-through polycarbonate panel, looking at people 25m below you. However, the intricate nature of this project pushed creativity and engineering to new heights.

7,000 metres of steel wire rope

10,000 lengths of cabling

6,000 node connections

2,300 hours of CAD design

1,200 panels

1 bespoke suspended access bridge

200 visitors per day

7,000 metres of steel wire rope

10,000 lengths of cabling

6,000 node connections

2,300 hours of CAD design

1,200 panels

1 bespoke suspended access bridge

200 visitors per day

The brief was brief. The aesthetic and shape of the artwork was fixed; the cable tension required for a stable structure was calculated – the rest relied on our in-house team of experts. Our journey started with developing a prototype to showcase the feasibility of the design. It had to be durable, safe, and sleek.

The R&D culminated in a prototyped segment that showcased the success of months of rigorous trial and error. The creative team were invited to Stage One HQ to check and explore the test-build, before we progressed to full manufacturing and installation.