Land of ideas: Books for Berlin

Blurb

At first everything was top secret. In autum 2005 we reveived an enquiry from the company EDAG Engineering + Design AG with which we have already worked together for 25 years in the sector of materials-handling technology. Unlike normal orders enverything was top secret. The enquiry came from the ultra-secured model construction sector the EDAG, which normally produces plastic models for new prototypes of the car industry. In November the silence was broken and the total project was introduced to us in Fulda, the premesis of EDAG.

Subject

Within the context of the initiative “Germany-Land of Ideas” launched by the federal government and the German economy, the “Walk of Ideas” was supposed to be installed in the center of Berlin. It dealt with six, large sized sculptures which were designed to represent special and culture shaping ideas, inventions and performances of Germany during the soccer world-cup 2006.

Table of content

The designes of the sculpures from young designers of the agency Scholz & Friends already existed. As the whole project was not to be made public a confidence clause had to be signed. Any passing on of information was forbidden. We applied for the interior steel construction and installation of various sculptures and finally got the order for the sculpture “The modern book print”-12.20 meter high, 3.50 meter long and 5.00 meter wide, total weight about 35 tons. This was the start of busy exchange about the technical realization as the conditions for the installation of the sculpture were quite unusual. The site at the Bebelplatz in front of the German Staatsoper in Berlin did not allow a foundation due to the underground pipes and lines and the limited duration of the initiative. Due to the considerable hight and the big outer surface (consisting of 250 cubic meter with glas fibre laminated neopor) heavy weights were supposed to secure the pile of books against wind and storm.

Underneath the book cover

The superstructure of the sculpture is a steel steel skelleton construction which connects 17 individual and hollow books fitting precisely into each other. In order to reduce the extensive installation in the center of Berlin to a minimum, the book covers were already pre-mounted to blocks in Fulda. In order to be able to screw the last book from inside, the upper hollow pattern received a mounting port which should not be seen from outside. The concrete parts in the lower sections of the pile were supposed to secure the standing of the 12 meter high tower. To reinforce the pile sufficiently for extreme winds the idea of a “ultra-dimensional screw clamp was developed. For this purpose, vertical running tie rods were arranged in order to connect the total sculpture via tensile stress with the concrete.

Book printing

For the final erection of the book pile on site in the center of Berlin, a detailed logistical planning and extensive security measurements through the authorities were necessary. Precise drawings and time schedules determined the delivery and storage of the material in detail. Within 3 days, one of the three employees of the IHNEN-AURICH team for this project assembled the sculpture out of the blocks which had arrived from Fulda with special transports. Our construction leader Dode Hartz could bring his extensive experience into this project and together with his colleagues he was able to keep the deadline regarding timing and procedure. Mission completed.

Book presentation

On the 21st of april the FC Germany-manager Mike de Vries, the president of the Goethe-Institut, Prof. D. Jutt Limbach and Clemens-Peter Haase, head of the sector literature and translation support of the Goethe Institut, unveiled the sculpture “The modern book print”.

Review

We were very pleased to receive the order of installing the sculpture from the company EDAG. Even though they are technically much more demanding, most of the time our projects are in a production hall after their realization and not visible for everybody located in the center of Berlin. Also for our staff it was nice to contribute something to presenting Germany at the soccer world cup. You do not get a chance like that every day. We regard the trust in our company as a confirmation and honouring for the quality and the completion on schedule of our work in the past.

Please find further information about the initiative “Fan Club Germany” and the six XL-sulptures in Berlin in the internet under www.land-der-ideen.de.