Montrose Bay High School, Hobart 2017 Slumped and Clear Float Glass
Montrose Bay High School, Hobart 2017 Slumped and Clear Float Glass
Montrose Bay High School, Hobart 2017 Slumped and Clear Float Glass
Montrose Bay High School, Hobart 2017 Slumped and Clear Float Glass
Montrose Bay High School, Hobart 2017 Slumped and Clear Float Glass
Montrose Bay High School, Hobart 2017 Slumped and Clear Float Glass
Montrose Bay High School, Hobart 2017 Slumped and Clear Float Glass
Montrose Bay High School, Hobart 2017 Slumped and Clear Float Glass
Montrose Bay High School, Hobart 2017 Slumped and Clear Float Glass
Montrose Bay High School, Hobart 2017 Slumped and Clear Float Glass
NOT ONE REED
Montrose Bay High School
This public art work was commissioned by the Tasmanian Public Art Site Scheme for Montrose Bay High School, Hobart.
The brief involved creating a screen that would serve as an effective wind-break to provide protection from icy winds that blow off the river during winter. The design was to incorporate the school emblem, of the water reeds that grow nearby, without obscuring the views through to the beautiful natural river environment.
The piece is made from 108 glass panels approx 2.4m high. The length of the artwork is just under 14m. Half the panels were slumped in a continuous reed design, with no two panels being the same. The panels were toughened after slumping to make them extra strong. The other half are clear laminated glass panels set at right angles to the slumped panels to form an air-tight barrier that still allows view-through to the river from many angles.
The panels are held in place by aluminium channels and lit at night by LED uplights set into the concrete plinth.
The slumping process involved meticulously creating unique sand moulds by hand for each panel inside a large kiln - a process that took up approx. 7hrs for each firing of 5 panels.
A big 'Thanks' goes to all who were involved and helped with this project - particularly Rodney Young who put in a gruelling few weeks assisting with the installation at one of the coldest times of year.
Photographs on this page by Peter Whyte.