The article details Joseph Walsh's intricate 20-foot sculpture titled Magnus Rinn, located at the Ireland pavilion of the Osaka Expo. Known for his wooden furnishings, Walsh worked closely with Arup and university labs to innovate a form that balances artistic lightness with durability against severe weather and seismic activity. This project utilized a high-pressure autoclave technique for wood treatment, inspired by automotive design, creating a hybrid structure that integrates bronze and laminated oak. Walsh's approach reflects a unique blend of craftsmanship and modern engineering for outdoor sculpture.
Mr. Walsh engaged in extensive studies with the engineering firm Arup, as well as materials testing with university labs in Dublin and in Stuttgart, Germany.
Japan was actually the most extreme environment we identified on the planet, he said, noting the threat of earthquakes.
To make the wood more durable, Mr. Walsh and his team used a high-pressure autoclave chamber, a strategy inspired by a visit to the Italian studio of the automobile designer Horacio Pagani.
Increasing the atmospheric pressure 600 percent bonded the wood laminates, making them stronger and more weather resistant and producing a hyper-performing wood, Mr. Walsh said.
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