Synopsis
Easter 2014 saw the opening of the Kelpies in Falkirk, Scotland. These are two, 30m high sculptures of horses heads situated either side of a lock on a new canal extension. The sculptures are the figurehead of a major redevelopment project, called the Helix, which is changing an industrial wasteland into parkland and at the same time reuniting communities in Falkirk and Grangemouth.
The finished article is visually stunning, but behind it lies eight years of work to bring the Kelpies from a concept, via an artist's vision, to an engineered reality. The structural and mechanical design was led by Felicity Starr in collaboration with sculptor Andy Scott. This article discusses some of the key challenges in the development of an engineered solution for an unusual and unique project.