Sculpture represents the perfect lap as driven by Helio Castroneves
300-pound work of art hangs in restaurant at The Concours Club in Miami
By Larry Edsall - March 13, 2022
11 Turns sculpture hangs over the restaurant at The Concours Club in Miami | Club photos
Hanging in Verge restaurant at The Concours Club in Miami is a sculpture, 11 Turns, by Dwayne MacEwen designed to give “physical form to the sound of four-time Indy Car Champion Helio Castroneves’ perfect lap of the club’s F1-style track.
The 400-pound sculpture by MacEwen, of DMAC Architecture & Interiors, is 22-feet in length and features the 11-turns on the automotive resort’s track, according to a news release.
Castroneves is a member of The Concours Club.
Dwayne MacEwen
“MacEwen spent hundreds of hours on site at The Concours Club studying the distinct acoustics of each driver on the FIA grade circuit,” according to the news release.
“MacEwen first created a special recording of Castroneves by positioning audio equipment at every turn of The Concours Club’s 11-turn circuit,” the news release continues.
“With a high-fidelity audio representation of Castroneves’ best lap, MacEwen sketched out the curvature of each approach, apex, turn and acceleration. MacEwen discovered there was a rising and falling collective din of power, speed, and control. To MacEwen, the interplay between Castroneves and the circuit sounded more like a dance than a battle.”
“As individuals, each of us is so incredibly unique, and driving a course is no different,” MacEwen is quoted. “Each driver develops their own individual pitch that is also specific to the circuit. The sound of motion kept coming into my mind listening to drivers each make their own unique acoustic representation while driving the circuit. The special cadence of what a lap at The Concours Club sounds like fascinated me, and that’s when I had the idea of bringing physical form to Hélio (Castroneves) driving The Concours Club in sculpture.”
“As the design progressed from interpretive pencil sketching, MacEwen initially formed the curving framework of the sculpture with 11 separate pieces of armature wire. The relationship between these 11 carefully shaped wires was studied and assembled into one, continuous looped circuit. The ultimate geometry was refined in multiple studies using 3D modeling software and then precisely bending each of the eleven 2.25-inch steel pipes down to exacting detail.”
A special machine, unique in North America, was used to bend the steel tubes.
“Each piece of the custom metal framework was precision welded and polished to complete the finished sculpture.”
“The physical manifestation of sound that 11 Turns represents in sculpture is an interesting idea,” Castroneves is quoted. “Drivers often know what a perfect lap sounds like at circuits they know well. A driver must always be attuned to their environment and the pitch of good movement driving out on the track provides its own symphony.”
11 Turns is part of the decor in Verge, which is overseen by James Beard-nominated and Food & Winte “Best New Chef” Brad Kilgore.
Article Courtesy of Classiccars.com