Diver, Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park

Industry

Stadia & Leisure

Expertises

Working at Height

Safety Circle steps used in this project

Installation Solutions

The client

The Line is a registered charity, co-founded by Megan Piper and Clive Dutton OBE, with a commitment to improving the quality of life for people in urban environments by putting art and culture at the heart of regeneration.

Opened in May 2015, The Line unveiled monumental sculptures along the footpaths of East London’s waterways. In 2020, The Line celebrated its fifth anniversary with the extension of its route into Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and a commission for Ron Haselden’s ‘Diver’.

Diver is a light installation that depicts a figure diving into the water, complete with a splash. The work uses an animation effect created by lighting each stage of movement in sequence. It was designed by British artist Ron Haselden, in collaboration with 600 London primary school pupils, through a series of animation workshops focusing on sports and well-being.

Full details of Ron Haselden and his portfolio can be found here.

Diver was first unveiled in March 2012, on the Regent’s Canal in Angel, London, as part of the London 2012 Olympic Games. With the backing of Vastint UK, Diver was to become the latest addition to The Line.

The requirement

Diver had found a new home at Sugar House Island, London E15 2LD, within walking distance of the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park and London Aquatics Centre. This structure would form part of the 10th-anniversary celebrations of the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Despite finding a home, support was needed in terms of how the artwork would be suspended and how the solution would not encroach over the river wall.

10 years after its original creation, Diver was in need of refurbishment so it could be hung over the Three Mills Wall River Weir for the next 5 years.

The solutions

Eurosafe was first involved in September 2019 and developed a full brief and methodology for the design and installation of the Diver. To ensure client satisfaction, our Quality Manager, Anthony Simms, produced a thorough report along the way to keep Vastint UK and The Line fully informed of the issues faced.

Using key members of our supply chain such as steelworkers, specialist designers and independent structural engineers, Eurosafe were able to create a series of concepts and proposals.

With the support of an independent structural engineer, we were able to create a bespoke arm that raised the suspension wires over the parapet wall and down to the water’s edge.

We carried out a stripping of the existing Jet Black powder coating, whilst replacing any parts which had suffered severe weather damage with new. We also cleaned the lighting and removed over 1,000 cable ties as well! We then re-coated all of the steelwork and replaced the cable ties.

Watch the Diver light installation live here.