Sana Al‐Nour: the development of a unique integrated artwork

Abstract

ABSTRACTSana Al‐Nour, a unique structure and the largest public artwork in the Middle East, stands at the centre of the new terminal at Abu Dhabi airport, hovering between the Departures and Arrivals areas. Originally conceived as a device to deflect daylight from the upper, daylit departures space to the lower, darker arrivals hall, it is also an integral part of the air recirculation system, guiding air through the void in which it floats, as well as being a space‐maker from below and a way‐finding marker from above. A circular, triangular‐mesh rotated hyperboloid cable‐net, suspended from a central axial strut between two compression rings, the piece comprises 1,632 heat‐bent and (mostly) chemically‐strengthened laminated units, with a bi‐colour varying opacity interlayer (semi‐reflective silver on the outside and sky blue on the inside) attached to 152 cables. The sculpture is 23 m high and 30 m diameter, and weighs approximately 92 tonnes. The structure has taken ten years, from conception to completion. The paper will deal with the generation of the concept and its development through initial stages to the execution and production of parts. It will deal with the visual design issues, spatial concerns, technical context in terms of light and airflow, project organisation, security, installation and maintenance. A unique project in a unique space, the description will attempt to draw general conclusions about the implications for the integration of artworks in complex public and semi‐public spaces.