Julianus Tongeren - Belgium

Literally balancing between art, design and architecture, searching the extremities of materials, static design and adequate forms, this sail sculpture spans it’s huge wings like a dynamic bird or dragon above the courtyard of the former monastery in Tongeren (Belgium). A large free-span structure of 37m x 37 is supported by 3 fly- ing masts of each 17meter high, balancing on stainless steel wires. No mast touches the ground to keep the free space of the courtyard. A ‘beak’ snaps to the pond and solitary tree in the courtyard. Because of the dramatic sculptural effect of this mem- brane, the architect calls his realization “sail sculpture”. The membrane in Tongeren is realized in PTFE with a translucency of 40%. Un- der the grey and often dark sky of the low lands as Belgium, architecture has to be as translucent as possible. The materials are precious and carefully chosen: pure PTFE with a high translucency and high quality stainless steel, to guarantee a life expec- tancy of 30 years and more.