Manufacture has begun of the elements of the US red oak “Timber Wave”, which will surround the main entrance of the Victoria & Albert Museum as part of the London Design Festival (LDF).
The 12m structure is a collaborative project, designed to highlight the performance and aesthetics of timber, between The American Hardwood Export Council (AHEC), engineers Arup and Amanda Levete of AL_A architects.
Final details of the design and structural calculations have been completed, and a container of 25mm random width red oak boards has been delivered to timber engineering and construction specialist Cowley Timberwork. This is now being laminated into the final components of the arching wave.
“The undulating curved chords of the wave use 7mm thick laminates, and on average there are 11 laminates per chord component, which vary in depth from 60mm deep to 120mm,” said Cowley Timberwork managing director Peter Hogg. “1,600 laminates will be required to make the 77 chords, which will run from left to right from the ground, up into the curve and back again, creating the wave shape.”
The structure will also include 460 braces formed from three 20mm thick red oak laminates pressed into a flat panel then profile cut n a CNC router.
AHEC is also working with the LDF, AL_A, Arup and the Victoria & Albert Museum on a publicity programme about the Wave, building on nearly 100 news articles already published on the project. In addition it will produce its own publication and a short film about the construction.
“Cowley Timberwork has been invaluable in helping us realise ‘Timber Wave’ and it is tremendously exciting to actually see it in production,” said AHEC European director David Venables. “It’s the latest in a collection of installations we have supported to demonstrate the performance, aesthetic and enduring qualities of American hardwood, and this red oak structure is set to be a standout installation of the LDF programme.”
The AHEC members which supplied the red oak were Bingaman & Son Lumber, Fitzpatrick & Weller, Frank Miller Lumber, Pike Lumber, Coulee Region Hardwoods, Northland Forest Products, Hermitage Hardwood Lumber Sales and Matson Lumber.
The London Design Festival takes place from September 17 to 25.
