1,881 CAD hours

5,992 Workshop hours 

384 Test build and derig hours

1752 On site build hours 

600 On site derig hours 

Es Devlin’s provocative choral sculpture came with a stark and heavy reminder of the toll suburban growth has had on its environment. 

Commissioned by Cartier, the ⅓ scale-model sculpture sliced open the dome of St Paul’s Cathedral, and provided a space for reflection during the day and performance space by night. 

Stage One was responsible for constructing this masterpiece, from the ground ballast, the base, the steel structure, the dome, and the wood-mounted panels to the handrails and access ramp, and everything in between. The ground ballast and base gave solid ground to the 17 vertical steel frames that would create the crescent. The dome was built in two sections and was raised independently from each other and fixed in place at height. A tense moment that was crowned by a highly detailed lantern made from 40×40 ERW, ply cladding and a plant-based fibre and resin. 80 PVC white panels wrapped the entire sculpture, providing a clean, fresh finish to the build. The 243 etchings were then attached to the sculpture and iridescently backlit. 

Test-built at our facility, the piece towered across Tockwith before being relocated and rebuilt at Tate Modern. Due to the funeral arrangements of Queen Elizabeth II, the opening was delayed. Therefore, before its unveiling, the team returned to provide final checks before the grand reveal to the public and press. 

As a gift to the artist, the team built a scaled replica of the sculpture as a souvenir.