Goodwood Festival of Speed celebrates 70 years of Porsche production
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Goodwood Festival of Speed, an annual event in the world of motorsport commissioned British artist Gerry Judah to create a spectacular centerpiece. The sculpture is the ultimate expression of design, engineering and speed and epitomises both the event and itGoodwood Festival of Speed celebrates 70 years of Porsche production
Goodwood Festival of Speed, an annual event in the world of motorsport commissioned British artist Gerry Judah to create a spectacular centerpiece. The sculpture is the ultimate expression of design, engineering and speed and epitomises both the event and its celebrated marque — Porsche. The Festival of Speed is a major event in the world motorsport calendar, featuring the latest racers, championship drivers and incredible displays of classic cars.The sculpture, which stands impressively in front of Goodwood House in West Sussex at 52m high, towers above the entire event. The design and creation of the Central Feature has been a complex process, starting with initial concepts and sketches by Judah with extensive collaboration from engineers Diales, culminating in the construction and erection by Littlehampton Welding.This year celebrates 70 years since the Porsche 356 was first introduced in 1948. “Despite the sheer size – as high as Nelson’s Column – the sculpture is incredibly lightweight – just 21 tonnes of steel to support six tonnes of car. The geometry is based on a regular truncated octahedron, this shape giving positions to display all six cars, with a stem at the bottom and a spire on top. All parts are hexagonal tapered tubes, giving strength and rigidity, and fabricated entirely from laser cut steel plate,” Gerry Judah commented.The sculpture features two other notable historic Porsches: the 917, an endurance racer, driven by Steve McQueen in the film Le Mans, and the 959, which was a winner of the 1987 Paris Dakar rally.The other featured Porsches include: the 918 Spyder, which is a hybrid road car made in 2015; the 919 Le Mans Prototype from 2015; and the 911R, a road car introduced in 2016, which is included to represent up-to-date Porsche design.Gerry Judah’s other installations can be seen in settings as varied as the Imperial War Museum, St Paul’s Cathedral and the India High Commission as well as international locations such as Mexico, New Zealand, South Korea, and an entrance sculpture outside the Porscheplatz Museum, Stuttgart, Germany.http://www.blouinartinfo.com/ Founder: Louise Blouin Read more