Project Description:
A spectacular ten foot tall sculpture honoring hockey great Mario Lemieux was recently installed at the Consol Energy Center, home for the Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey Team, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Team:
Scansite 3D, Artworks Foundry
Image at right: “Le Magnifique” – A sculpture honoring hockey great Mario Lemieux
A spectacular ten foot tall sculpture honoring hockey great Mario Lemieux was recently installed at the Consol Energy Center, home for the Pittsburgh Penguins Hockey Team, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
“Le Magnifique” was created by nationally-acclaimed bronze sculptor Bruce Wolfe of Berkeley, California. Bronze casting was done at Artworks Foundry in Berkeley, California.
Scansite 3D’s role in the project began with scanning twenty-four inch tall clay maquettes sculpted by Bruce Wolfe. After extensive editing, the digital data was scaled to its final size and the three figures were CNC milled from extruded styrofoam.
The full size foam models were then returned to Bruce Wolfe’s studio where they were covered with a thin layer of clay, and fine details were added. The finished models were then sent to Artworks Foundry where they were used as patterns for bronze molding and casting.
Clay macquettes of the three hockey players created by the artist Bruce Wolfe.
The macquettes were then 3D scanned using an ATOS structured light 3D scanner.
This image shows the 3D scan data in .stl (polygon mesh) format. In order to get to this stage, the “raw” 3D scan was extensively edited to remove all holes and defects.
This data file can now be used for 3D printing or CNC milling.
CNC milled foam model of “Le Magnifique” being coated with clay by sculptor Bruce Wolfe.
Re- texturing the clay surface allows the sculptor to precisely control the finish in preparation for the bronze casting.
In this image the individual bronze castings have been welded together to create the final sculpture. The final step will be to apply the patina.
“Le Magnifique” sculpture installed at the Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
The “Le Magnifique” sculpture was dedicated on March 7, 2012. The 4,700-pound bronze statue features Lemieux skating through two defensemen on his way to scoring a goal, an adaptation of a sequence that took place Dec. 20, 1988 at Civic Arena against the New York Islanders.
