ScottishArchitecture.com

A ground-breaking research project, has pioneered a new system of restoring works of art using engineering simulation and analysis technologies.

The FELSSO project, led by Dr. Angela Geary, International Drawing Research Institute, The Glasgow School of Art, has announced that Henry Moore’s ‘Large Arch’, once displayed in Kensington Gardens before being dismantled due to structural problems, will be able to be safely restored after 12 years in storage.

The sculpture has been the focus of the project, funded by the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the Henry Moore Foundation, which has been exploring new methods of structural analysis for cultural heritage conservation.
 
Dr Angela Geary with Dr. John P. Harrison at Imperial College, London and sculpture conservation expert Derek Pullen at the Tate, set out in 2006 to prove that engineering simulation and analysis technologies could be effectively applied to the complex forms and structural problems met within museum collections.

The team’s collective expertise in 3D visualisation, engineering and conservation has enabled them, not only to successfully prove this, but to develop methods that are highly adapted and effective for the specific concerns of museum artifacts.

Dr Angela Geary, 3D visualisation expert and senior researcher from the International Drawing Research Institute, The Glasgow School of Art, said: “We were delighted when the Henry Moore Foundation invited us to study ‘Large Arch’ as a subject for our research. It was a huge practical challenge, but it was very exciting and motivating be working on such a significant real-world problem. It’s been very rewarding to see such a positive application for our research findings take shape from the outset.”