Art Project "Solhjul" in Give, Denmark

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3D model of "Solhjul" calculated in RFEM (© Schmidt Nielsen)

Artist Bo Karberg in front of his project "Solhjul" (© Bo Karberg)

Detail of glass panes in the structure (© Bo Karberg)

Customer Project

06/01/2015

Denmark RFEM Glass Structures & Facades Steel Structures

Structural Engineering	Schmidt Nielsen ApS Consulting Engineers F.R.I. Odense, Denmark www.schmidtnielsen.dk
Artist	Bo Karberg Klippinge, Denmark www.bokarberg.dk
Investor	Foreningen Skulpturby Give, Denmark www.skulpturby.dk

In May 2015, the art project "Solhjul" (in English: sun wheel) by the artist Bo Karberg was officially opened. The 12m‑high wheel is located on the center island of a traffic circle in Give, Denmark. It is now the new symbol of the town.

Inspiration

When creating the artwork, the artist Bo Karberg was inspired by a 5,000-year old disk wheel. It was found in 1948 in Pilkmosen near Give. The disk wheel is considered as the oldest wheel in Europe and is located in the Danish National Museum in Copenhagen.

Construction

The outer ring of the "sun wheel" is made of steel, covered with a GRP shell, and the inner grid consists of prestressed stainless steel tension bars. Glass plates are integrated into the grid structure, similar to the glass pyramid of the Louvre in Paris. The diameter of the wheel is 11.0 m. On the bottom side, the wheel is fixed in a foundation with the following dimensions: w x h x d = 4.0 m x 7.0 m x 2.5 m.

The inner grid consists of a total of 7,405 parts - round steel bars with a diameter from 12 to 40 mm.

The sculpture was funded by the EU, the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries of Denmark as well as by a broad range of individuals and companies.

Engineer Martin Schmidt-Nielsen says: “The art project "Solhjul" was designed with the programs RSTAB and RFEM. The great Dlubal support contributed to the success.”

See more information about the sculpture on www.solhjul.dk.