Public sculpture is a process. For Oskar Zięta, it means thoroughly studying locations, surroundings and meanings. In the case of this sculptural project adjacent to Szczytnicki Park, the inspiration in both engineering and art was an obvious choice for the artist: the “Iglica” (Spire) from 1948 designed by Prof. Stanisław Hempel.
The purpose of Zięta’s sculpture was to emphasize the beautiful steel constructions, as objects to look at and admire, as technology and art—structures that Zięta thinks are underappreciated. Thus, in the spirit of the place, genius loci, Zięta’s sculpture for RealCo is an homage to the historical heritage and to steel as a material.
Hempel’s “Iglica” has always fascinated Zięta on two parallel levels, as artist and as engineer. This steel tower climbing to heaven is a structural manifesto, filled with a spirit of art. It is a symbol of the dialogue of two worlds, in both of which Zięta moves freely. This allows Zięta to identify in a way with the outstanding but now underestimated designer Stanisław Hempel.
photo: Marta Wereszko
Indeed, Zięta decided to pay direct homage to the “Iglica” by naming his work Hempel. While employing the same structural vocabulary, Zięta pivoted, toying with the form by reversing it to interpret individual elements of the Spire. This has resulted in a nearly 9-metre-tall steel sculpture, installed at its intended location in mid-October 2024.
photo: Marta Wereszko
photo: Julia Leus
But first, Zięta’s Hempel flew over Wrocław. The metal, ultra-light construction was transported by helicopter from the design and production facility of Zieta Studio to its destination at the RealCo housing development at Szczytnicki Park.
photo: Jakub Musialski
This unconventional method of transport was made possible by the ultralightness characteristic of all Oskar Zięta’s projects. The Hempel sculpture, is almost 9 metres high and 5 metres in diameter, but thanks to the advanced FiDU technology used for its creation it weighs only about 700 kilogrammes.
photo: Julia Leus
To insightful observers of the artist, this act certainly reminded them of how the bionic arches of the Nawa pavilion were delivered by barge along the channels of the Oder River to the site on Daliowa Island. In that project, Zięta interpreted arched vaults, giving them the new and modern form of arches deformed by air in the FiDU technology.
photo: Julia Leus
At that time, Zięta also made his first translation of the “Iglica” into the language of FiDU steel deformation, when he designed the statuette for the European Capital of Culture, first awarded to Wrocław in 2016. The Spire was then passed on further, like a symbolic key opening this event in subsequent cities.
Hempel sculpture results from experiments with the Steel in Rotation form - the concept based on a repetition of steel profiles bent and composed into a concentric structure. Rotated around their own axis they create an effect of movement preserved in a moment.
The mirrored steel surfaces also allude to the historical mirrors on Hempel’s “Iglica”, which were destroyed on the eve of the project’s opening. As the Wrocław newspapers described the“Iglica” in early July 1948: “Eight mirrors driven by an electric motor were installed at a height of 96 metres. These mirrors will be targeted by 12 spotlights distributed around the exhibition site. Thanks to the rotating mirrors, the Spire will be bathed in 96 multicoloured beams, creating an ‘umbrella of light.’ It will be an extremely impressive light show every day….”
Zięta’s metal panels will create a comparable, unusual experience, reflecting the rays of the sun, the clouds, the surrounding greenery, and the viewers themselves. Officially, the polished surfaces of the Hempel sculpture can be viewed starting in the 1st quarter of 2025. That is also the scheduled completion date for the RealCo development. The sculpture is located in a semi-private, semi-public square, directly accessible to inhabitants of the apartments. But hopefully it will also become a popular feature for visitors taking a walk in Szczytnicki Park.
Apartments at Szczytnicki Park
Apartments at Szczytnicki Park
Ludomira Różyckiego Avenue 1C
51-608 Wrocław
photo: Jakub Musialski
photo: Jakub Musialski
photo: Jakub Musialski
