A giant sculpture is a new star in Altona.
The 5.1-metre tall, 65-tonne concrete-and-steel monument was
commissioned by construction company Form 700 to celebrate the opening
of its new head office on Drake Boulevard.
Newport resident and sculptor Robert Hague, who custom-built the impressive piece named Stride Orbis, is extremely proud of the finished product.
“It was a massive technical challenge to pull off this piece of work,” Hague said.
“They really wanted a piece that represented continuity. It is
designed to symbolise the ongoing growth of the company while also
recognising technical skill.”
The tight timeline required Hague to work long hours in his Newport studio to ensure the sculpture was completed on time.
The sculpture took eight weeks to construct, with Hague working 10 to 12 hours a day, six days a week.
“I have never worked so hard in my 25 years of professional
work,” he said. “I worked a 14-hour day on the Sunday before the
unveiling on the Monday morning. It was mayhem, absolutely insane.”
Hague was responsible for the design and construction, while Form 700 organised the concrete for the monument.
“We used each other’s strengths in that regard,” he said.
“We couldn’t have done it without one another.”
