Solar Gate Sundial, Queens Gardens, Kingston-upon-Hull Installation, Humberside Architecture News
Solar Gate Sundial in Hull
Architecture Installation in Eastern England, UK – design by Tonkin Liu Architects
17 Jan 2020
Solar Gate in Hull
Architect: Tonkin Liu
Location: Queens Gardens, Kingston-upon-Hull, England, UK

Solar Gate is a sundial that uses solar alignment to mark significant times and dates in Hull. The super-light innovative two-shell structure is place-specific, responding to pivotal historic events and to the cultural context of its location in Hull?s Queens Gardens adjacent to the ancient site of Beverley Gate.

Tonkin Liu won the international art competition in March 2015 to create the artwork in Hull?s town centre. The architects collaborated with structural engineers at Arup and worked with Hull City Council and local fabricator Pearlgreen to deliver the artwork in the summer of 2017, the year in which Hull celebrated its status as the UK City of Culture 2017. The sculpture stands at a height of 10 meters but is made from miraculously thin 4mm plates. At the centre of the 4 meters wide plan the sculpture is just 1 meter deep, tapering to 100mm at the two open edges. From these edges visitors can see how the structure is formed. Two curving and corrugated surfaces join, without the aid of any additional supporting internal structures.
All of the structural strength is inherent in the sculpture?s shell form. The biomimetic technique is called Shell L...