Artist Lee Simmons has unveiled a 17-ton, 50-foot sculpture in London’s Marylebone neighborhood. Titled Quadrilinear, the project is made of five layers of laser-cut steel standing four stories tall. The project is slotted through Schoen Clinic by ESA Architects, and was completed over a four-year period with Format Engineers. The stainless-steel column is based on deconstructed maps of historic Marylebone to engage the context, rhythm and fabric of the facade.
Raised in Stevenage, Lee gained a First Class Honors degree in metalwork and silversmithing before undertaking an MA in the subjects at the Royal College of Art. His earlier works became a springboard to Quadrilinear, which builds off Simmon's interest in maps. As he said, "I’ve got a bit of a fascination with maps and topography which felt quite fitting on such a prominent corner. I like to delve into the detail." Simmons worked with the architects, engineers, and fabricators to help bring the sculpture to life.
Format Engineers worked with fabricators Littlehampton Welding to realize the sculpture. Thin filigree steel sheets were clamped together by 1,200 stainless-steel rods to create a slight curve. Format Engineers used computational scripting to evaluate the most efficient ways of distributing stress and laying out the sculpture. Simmons regularly uses stainless steel as his main medium, as it is both robust and low maintenance. Working with Format and Littlehampton, he was able to simplify construction to minimize fabrication costs.
