Making Iron Dome

Iron Dome (2009, cast iron)

See Iron Dome at Kew Gardens, as part of the David Nash at Kew: A Natural Gallery exhibition.

Iron Dome was made in China and is one of two versions - the other stayed at the Shanghai Sculpture Park.

Each of its simple 'hump' forms were cast in iron from a unique original and placed together to make a monumental dome.

Initially the shapes for Iron Dome were cut in polystyrene with a hot wire, rather than wood, because this material translates very well into iron.

When assembled, the iron pieces, cast from these moulds, are placed in four circles of different sizes.