The Golden Fish - Barcelona
Advanced rigging & abseiling techniques
The Olympic Games that were held in Spain in 1992 heralded the construction of new and bold architecture in Barcelona.
Trading as Technitube, the Alternative Access Logistics management team were asked for their expert knowledge to assist in delivering one of the more unusual and unique projects to date.
The 35 metre wide by 54 metre long sculpture is supported via a steel frame that in turn holds curved skeletal trusses. The architect chose to use highly polished metallic strips as a cladding that would reflect the light.
The “Golden Fish” was intended to be a prominent feature on the promenade so the cladding needed to be fitted with precision and to tight tolerances. The continuously curved form of the sculpture meant that there were no straight edges to use as a baseline to work from.
The solution was to use teams of trained abseilers who would have freedom of movement all across the structure and therefore tactile access to all areas. This allowed the operatives to weave the strips of metal cladding quickly and efficiently.
The sculpture remains as one of the city’s most famous landmarks.
Case Studies
- 23 Saville Row, London
- Aqua Leisure Centre, Cardiff
- The Boyne Bridge, Ireland
- Coleman Street, London
- The Edge, Manchester
- K2 Sport Centre, Crawley
- The Kessock Bridge
- Lower Thames Street
- The Natwest Tower, London
- Riverside Exchange, Sheffield
- Olympic Fish, Barcelona
- Terminal 5 - Modular Soffit Access System
- Terminal 5 - Advanced Rigging & Abseiling Techniques
- Terminal 5 - Air Intake Towers
- Terminal 5 - Glass Lifting Beam
- Terminal 5 - Lift Towers
- Terminal 5 - Permanent Roof Access System
- Terminal 5 - Temporary Roof Access Gantry
- Terminal 5 - Painting Platform
- Terminal 5 - Building Maintenance Unit
- Transmission Tower Access
