A new piece of artwork, by artist Lubna Chowdhary, showcases the versatility and aesthetic potential of exposed heating and ventilation pipes as a design feature, in a 6.5m by 5.5m sculpture made from ROCKWOOL RockLap H&V Pipe Sections.
The “Erratics” exhibition was commissioned by the Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art (MIMA) and features a sculpture made possible by a ROCKWOOL donation of 320m of its RockLap H&V Pipe Sections, sized with a 140mm inner diameter and wall thickness of 25mm.
The ROCKWOOL insulation used for the sculpture consists of pre-formed cylindrical sections of stone wool with a layer of factory-applied foil on the outer surface. Traditionally used for heating and ventilation pipes in a range of settings, RockLap H&V Pipe Sections are designed to maintain the optimum temperature of pipe services, thereby reducing energy consumption.
She said: “My work continuously investigates the relationship between the industrial and hand-crafted, and the industrial precision and modular system of ROCKWOOL was something I could work directly and immediately with.
“It was a material that could be easily formed and constructed into more complex shapes with minimal tools and processes.”
Will Wigfield, HVAC & fire product manager at ROCKWOOL, added: “Our HVAC products are often deliberately left exposed in modern commercial, retail and leisure projects to provide an attractive and interesting focal feature that blurs the line between function and aesthetics.
“It is fascinating to see how Lubna has taken this one step further and transformed RockLap into such a stunning and imposing piece of art. ROCKWOOL was pleased to be able to donate these materials and see them transformed into something so special.”