During the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, eight sparkling three-dimensional "snowflakes" are lit up in the South Square of the National Aquatics Center "Ice Cube". This is a "woven space mesh shell" lighting art decoration originally developed by the team of Huang Weixin, associate professor of the School of Architecture of Tsinghua University. They resemble snowflakes and twinkling stars, hence the cute nickname "Edelweiss Star".
"Snowflake ice crystals are our source of inspiration." Huang Weixin revealed that in order to allow the viewer to appreciate the beauty of the "Edelweiss Star" from multiple angles, the team referred to the polyhedra geometric prototype of the "Ice Cube" building, and designed a three-dimensional snowflake sculpture based on the regular icosahedron and the woven grid. "Just like the traditional Chinese woven crafts, the 'Edelweiss Star' is composed of long poles similar to bamboo and rattan, and each pole is elastic and bendable." Through side bending, forward bending, twisting and other treatments, each member has its own shape and shape.
Light up the "Edelweiss Star" and the team strives for excellence. Based on past experience, the team first selected the frP member. "The effect is not ideal enough," Huang Weixin said, the snowflakes are pure and beautiful in both day and night, and "Edelweiss" must also present such a visual effect, which cannot be "made up". The team tried many materials for the members, and finally selected an aluminum alloy material with strong plasticity and good elasticity.
There are still many mysteries in this "snowflake". For example, it will be bright, but you can't see the wires. "Inside each member is a 'mechanism'. Huang Weixin revealed that in order to reflect the overall aesthetics and artistry of the sculpture, the power supply line, LED light strip, and connection node are hidden in the square groove of the members. "We also pre-machined the members through a new process, simplifying the installation of wires and the assembly of sculptures."
Considering the windy nature of Beijing in winter, the "snowflakes" must be light and strong. Huang Weixin said, "Each member is very thin, the wind resistance is very small, and the integrity and stability of the braided structure are also very good." And the sculpture is connected to the concrete base under the soil layer, and the wind will definitely not run away.
At present, eight pieces of "Edelweiss Star" bloom in different positions in the south square of the "Ice Cube", and there is a large "snowflake" with a height of 7 meters in the middle of the square; three "snowflake" theme sculptures near the main entrance of the Ice Sports Center, which are 5 meters, 3 meters and 2 meters high... Pieces of "snowflakes" have become a unique landscape and a beautiful memory of many people's Winter Olympics.
Huang Weixin said that in the future, more "Edelweiss stars" are expected to be lit up in Beijing. "They will serve as urban public landscapes, enriching the cultural life of citizens and activating the city's night economy in the post-Winter Olympic era." I hope they can also become influencers! ”
Source Beijing Daily Client | Intern journalist He Rui
Editor: Cai Wenqing
Process Editor Tai Shaofeng