Ghost Tree is the first permanent sculpture of Turner Prize nominee Anya Gallaccio to be commissioned in the UK. The sculpture sits adjacent to The Whitworth Gallery in Manchester and succeeds a dead tree that was removed from the site during the construction of the new gallery, but which survived in data form owing to a 3D scan of the area carried out at the beginning of the project.

The sculpture is formed from fourteen stainless steel “ribbons” which bifurcate to form branches and which describe the extrados of the original tree. Each plate was water jet cut from 12 thick mirror polished stainless steel. We worked closely with the Artist to develop the form and carried out the detailed design and analysis of the structure using FEA software.

Structure Workshop commissioned a wind study to understand the complex dynamic response of the structure under wind loading and subsequently manipulated the geometry to reduce wind induced vibrations. A complete 3D model issued to the Fabricator allowing CNC patterns to be developed. Structure Workshop subsequently oversaw the fabrication process and installation of the sculpture.