Amazing Engineering In Focus
We think these sculptures are incredible and yet another display of amazing engineering.
Designed by sculptor Andy Scott, these visually stunning giant horseheads called The Kelpies are Scotland’s most prominent works of art. Standing at 30 metres (100 feet) and weighing in at 300 tonnes each, these beauties are Scotland’s newest visitor attraction and were opened to the public in April this year as part of a multi-million-pound land redevelopment between Falkirk and Grangemouth. Built of structural steel with stainless steel cladding, the sculptures took a whopping eight years of planning and one year to manufacture and assemble.
As well as The Kelpies, there are two sets of 1:10 scale models known as Kelpie maquettes, which were sculpted from steel and then galvanised using a hot dip process. The Kelpie maquettes were welded by hand from small plates of steel and are displayed across Scotland in locations such as Edinburgh Airport, The Field Museum, and at several engineering events, including Expo 2013 (Glasgow) and the Sheffield International Steel Celebration.
