Category: Styropor-Figur

Kunst am Bau

Art in architecture – SCATER Figures

The double sculpture “Skater” was created by the artist Birgid Helmy from Wiesbaden. With her design, the artist convinced the jury and won the competition Art on the Building at the Karmeliter Realschule Plus.

We at ACCENTFORM supported the artist with our services in the realisation of her idea. The 3D data provided by the artist served as the basis for the milling work. She obtained this data by scanning her self-created 3D model. We milled the two life-size figures from SikaBlock M440. To make the sculptures weatherproof, they were encased in GRP. In this project, the later attachment on high steel poles had to be taken into account. To counteract the possible wind load, we reinforced the statically relevant parts of the sculptures with CFRP. The figures were then painted according to the artist’s exact colour specifications. The artist painted the details on the faces of the two young skaters herself.

The artwork now shines four metres high in front of the renovated façade of the Karmeliter Realschule Plus in Worms and appeals to pupils and passers-by alike.

Pictures from production:

Giant salamander

The well-known Hannover Adventure Zoo is currently being expanded by the construction of a new Zoologicum themed area. This theme world will present giant tortoises, amphibians, sloths, macaws, coatis & co. in a stimulating appearance. In keeping with this themed landscape, we were commissioned with an oversized salamander figure that crawls along the tower at the entrance to the Zoologicum to welcome visitors.
The five-meter-long amphibian replica was first milled in several segments using our 3-axis milling machine. The assembled figure was then coated with polyurea hotcoat. The orange-skinlike spray structure not only gives the fire salamander an authentic surface, but also makes it hard and weatherproof. Four stainless steel plates were provided on the feet for later attachment to the tower’s facade and integrated into the feet. After being primed in black, the giant salamander was realistically painted by hand and sealed with a glossy coat of varnish in a lifelike manner.

Customer feedback:

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank you and your team. The implementation of our idea, a larger-than-life salamander, you have succeeded very well. Here in the house, everyone is thrilled with the result. On Friday, the figure will hang in its final place and inspire people for animals. A special thanks to Mrs. Wagner, for the friendly support.” (Detlef Meiners)

Process:

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Styrofoam artwork – Katharina Grosse

The internationally renowned artist Katharina Grosse has temporarily transformed the Hamburger Bahnhof – Museum für Gegenwart – Berlin as well as parts of the outdoor area into an unmanageably large, colorful work of art. The boundaries between painting and sculpture are unconventionally dissolved in Katharina Grosse’s space-transcending and color-intensive artworks. Thus, in this exhibition entitled “It Wasn’t Us,” huge, rock-like elements, the floor inside and outside the museum, and parts of the façade also merge into a gigantic, three-dimensional painting in vibrant colors.

ACCENTFORM was commissioned to manufacture and assemble the oversized sculptural elements and was thus allowed to contribute to this extraordinary installation. This project presented us with a number of challenges, which we mastered in good cooperation with the client.

A Styrofoam model of the artwork, handmade by the artist in a scale of 1:50, was scanned externally and converted into 3D data. These served us as a template for 3D milling. A total of five Styrofoam objects were involved. First, a test model on a scale of 1:10 was milled using our 5- axis milling machine based on the 3D data. This model then served the artist in her studio as a
visual object for color matching and further adjustments, which were then milled by us on a scale of 1:5.

The 1:5 model was also revised again by the artist and after its approval we were able to mill the five rock-like objects in their original size. Due to the gigantic dimensions of up to 21 m in length and 7 m in height, these first had to be sensibly segmented. The milling time of 1,400 hours and the Styrofoam consumption of 1,050 m³ alone give an indication of the magnitude of this gigantic project.

After the parts were provisionally assembled, Katharina Grosse and her assistants worked on the surface with hot wire on site in our halls according to their ideas.

Skulptur vor dem Bemalen, Foto: Philip Radowitz

Sculpture before painting, photo: Philip Radowitz

Art exhibition “It Wasn´t Us”

The finished segments were delivered individually to Berlin and assembled on site in the historic hall of the Hamburg train station. The assembly by our team took nine days. The artist then made further adjustments to the surface and painted over the white “icebergs” with bright colors using a spray technique and integrated them into her space-blasting installation.

We were personally able to get an impression of this extraordinary work of art at the exhibition opening and are proud to have contributed to it within the scope of our possibilities.

As this work by Katharina Grosse is also a time-limited installation, the styrofoam elements will be 100% recycled after the end of the exhibition.

Bilder aus der Fertigung:

Bilder aus der Kunstausstellung:

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Stonehenge replica

The Stonehenge stone circle is the most famous Stone Age monument in Europe and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. For a special exhibition of the LWL Museum of Archaeology in Herne, a full-scale Stonehenge replica as naturalistic as possible was to be produced as a monument that can be walked on and touched. We participated in the tender for this gigantic project and finally received the order. A total of 21 Stonehenge replicas on a scale of 1:1 were ordered, ranging in height from 4 to 7 m and up to 5 m wide.

Gigantic tasks

This literally gigantic order also presented us with some technical, time and logistical challenges. The 3D data of the giant stones provided by the customer first had to be divided into feasible sections. The individual elements were CNC milled from Styrofoam. Then, the large elements were merged together to form the stone replicas on a 1:1 scale.

The next step was to achieve the most realistic-looking surface possible for the stone giants. First, the “soft” Styrofoam was coated with a layer of polyurea hotcoat. This plastic coating significantly increased the compressive strength of the surface. The basis for the further coloration was then formed by freshly processed sarsen or bluestone optics. On the basis of photographic material and small original samples from Stonehenge, various types of sand were matched to each other and a suitable mixing ratio was determined. Because the replica stones should also
haptically resemble sandstone, the special sand mixture was sprayed onto the stone surface in combination with a dispersion adhesive. The details of the stone surface, as well as the color nuances, were finally worked out by airbrush painting.

Due to the large dimensions, the stones had to be precisely divided again for transport and assembly. The last hurdle was the assembly of the stones on site at the LWL Museum of Archaeology Herne. This was done by our team over two days. The huge stone models had to be assembled like a puzzle with the help of several scissor lifts and fixed to a substructure. The seams at the connection points were reworked by us after the assembly.

The impressive special exhibition about Stonehenge in the LWL Museum of Archaeology in Herne was opened on 23.09.21 and can be seen until 25.09.22.

Bilder aus der Produktion:

Stone imitations

nelson-saule-gfkOn request we develop and realize stone imitations and rock imitations made of GRP, which hardly differ optically from real stones. Whether an asteroid, a huge rock, an erratic boulder, a stone column or a sculpture that appears to be chiseled out of a rock to be. These stone replicas can be realized in almost any size and in a wide variety of shapes.

Artificial rocks and stone imitations made of GRP are dimensionally stable, resilient and frostproof. In contrast to natural stone, they are characterized by a low dead weight. These positive properties make them suitable for any indoor or outdoor application: as complex riding obstacles, decorative or climbing elements in amusement parks or as eye-catchers at various events.

The basic shape of the stone models is first cut by hand from a polystyrene block, e.g. with a chain saw. It is then encased in fiberglass using the hand-laminating process. The authentic surface is realized with a colored basic coloring in connection with stone application.

 

 


More references:

STONEHENGE-Replica

 

Banner Asteroid aus Kunststoff

ASTEROID-Vesta

GIANT HANDS FOR IAA-Fair

At the internationally important IAA automotive trade fair in Frankfurt 2019, AUDI has presented its new convertible model in a particularly eye-catching way: the Audi A5 40 TDI quattro is staged by two white giant hands. This staging makes the trade fair stand a special eye-catcher, to which we were allowed to make our contribution.

By order of the company Metron eging GmbH we made the two over 5m large hands out of FRP.
First, the oversized hands were milled from Styrofoam on a five-axis CNC machining center using the CAD files supplied. To obtain a hard surface, the Styrofoam models were coated with a 3 mm thick layer of FRP using the hand laminate process. To keep the oversized hands as light as possible, the entire Styrofoam was then removed from the inside.


To create a smooth and even surface, the entire area had to be filled, sanded, filled, sanded and primed. This was followed by a white matte paint finish. Good cooperation with the customer ensured trouble-free assembly to the customer’s framework.

Bilder aus der Fertigung:

 

JCVD - Skulptur XXL

Oversized sculpture of JCVD

At the end of 2017, the new streaming series “Jean-Claude Van Johnson” started exclusively on AMAZON. For the worldwide film premiere on 12.12.2017 in Paris, we were commissioned by the event agency GRAL to create an oversized sculpture. The statue is to represent the famous action hero Jean Claude van Damme, who plays himself in the JCVJ series.

Part of the order was two columns including pedestal under the feet of the monumental figure. The columns were made of styrofoam and the pedestals were made of wooden panels and finished with marble look.

We first roughly milled the 2.7 m wide figure from Styrofoam. All details, such as facial features and muscle parts were modeled manually by the artist Waldemar Neumann according to photo templates. The Styrofoam surface was then given texture and gold patina. Our sculpture literally went down well in Paris, cut a fine figure next to the action hero at the premiere and even made it into the “Bild” newspaper.

Bilder aus der Fertigung:

 

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Styrofoam sports car

By order of the company Neulant van Exel we were allowed to produce a fancy sports car model in original size.

Based on the supplied 3D data, a 1 : 1 replica was milled with high precision from a large-sized polystyrene block. The 4.8 m long model was produced on a 5-axis portal milling machine (10 x 4.5 m) in one clamping.
The car tires were milled separately and later movably attached to the model. The open-pored Styrofoam surface was closed with a mineral putty by manual processing and painted black/red. Further adjustments, as well as the mounting of the lamps were done by the customer.

The luxury sleigh was first used as a stage backdrop for the performance of a well-known German rapper duo.

Production pictures:

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Giant meat cheese roll

YOU WOULD LOVE TO BITE INTO IT

We were commissioned by Globus Homburg-Einöd to create a giant meatloaf roll. This collos is now part of the walk-in exhibition in the popular shooting location – the Fancy Pop Up Gallery in Saarbrücken. Visitors are allowed to flash off there with this unique piece. Even the popular Saarland superhero Captain Maggi found the XXL “Fleischkäse Weck” to be a bite and has described it as “the dream of every Saarlander”.

The roll model consists of three parts. These were first individually milled from Styrofoam using the 3D data and then coated with a polyurea hotcoat. The surface was sanded and primed by hand. Afterwards, the graffiti artist BeNeR1 provided a “tasty” look.

As these shots attest, you can even make yourself comfortable on the robust surface of the giant huge bun.

Pictures of the production:


 

Big TV mouse figure

Who doesn’t know her – The Mouse from the Westdeutscher Rundfunk, known from the “Sendung mit der Maus”?! On March 7, 2021, she will be an incredible 50 years old and still enjoys great popularity. She has accompanied us for several generations – without a word, but always with a loud wink. 😉

On the occasion of the 50th anniversary of TheMouse and its laughing and factual stories, ACCENTFORM was commissioned by WDR to produce a big mouse figure. We scaled and adapted the 3D data provided by the customer. Based on these data, we milled and assembled the model in several segments using our 5-axis milling machines. This styrofoam figure was then encased in fiberglass using a hand-laminating process. The surface was sanded by hand and colored by airbrush according to exact customer specifications. A final, extremely matt clear varnish serves to protect the airbrush paint. To give the large mouse a stable hold, the finished sculpture was mounted on a round metal plate. A special highlight for us during the work was the visit of the WDR film team. The station accompanied part of the production and summarized it in a film report.

Pictures from the production: