Moshe RoasMidron Park, Jaffa, Tel-Aviv

Luna

Outdoor Urban Sculpture

01 / Outdoor Urban SculptureMarch 2022 – June 2024

Art in
Public Space.

Artist: Moshe Roas
Curator: Smadar Schindler
Location: Midron Park, Jaffa, Tel-Aviv
Period: March 2022 – June 2024

This project is an outdoor sculpture, developed as part of the “Art in Public Space” initiative of the Tel Aviv-Yafo Municipality. As a public artwork intended to engage with the general public and commissioned under the responsibility of a municipal authority, the sculpture’s development process was complex and involved multiple stages. From day one, I worked closely with Roas throughout the entire process.

Hand-drawn concept sketch of Luna’s interconnected circular forms. — 01Hand-drawn sketches

01Initial concept
& hand-drawn sketches

02 — 03 / 3D studiesFull scale · Human figure

A digital
3D working environment.

At an early stage, following the initial concept and hand-drawn sketches, we transitioned into a digital 3D working environment. We developed an extensive series of 3D studies, exploring design options, testing large-scale massing alternatives, refining more detailed form adjustments, and calibrating proportions. Throughout the process, the sculpture was developed at full scale and consistently evaluated in relation to the human figure, intending to accurately curate the spatial effect and experience it would create for visitors.

Full-scale digital study of the final circular sculpture and human figures. — 03.1 / Digital 3D model
Click and drag to orbit

Early digital study of the curved sculpture beside two human figures. — 02.13D studies

A second view of the early sculpture, showing its intersecting curved forms. — 02.23D studies

Side view of the early sculpture and human figures for comparison of scale. — 02.33D studies

Front view of the early sculpture in relation to two people. — 02.43D studies

Sunlit digital sculpture study with people and a long cast shadow. — 02.53D studies

A digital study placing the sculpture in an architectural setting. — 02.63D studies

Dimensioned front view of the sculpture, with people indicating its scale. — 03.2Proportions

Dimensioned sculpture study with a human figure placed beneath its rings. — 03.3Human scale

Technical outline of the sculpture’s circular parts and cross sections. — 03.4Form adjustments

04 / Feasibility documentMathematical · Structural · Spatial

Technical
& practical viability.

At a more advanced stage, we were required to produce a feasibility document demonstrating the sculpture’s technical and practical viability. This is where the advantages of working in a digital environment became particularly evident, introducing a level of precision and realism into the sculpture's development. Because digital modeling requires forms and operations to be defined through commands and code, the resulting geometry is governed by a coherent mathematical, structural, and spatial logic. This made it easier to formulate a clear fabrication strategy and sequence of production and assembly.

Digital sculpture feasibility study, view 1, showing the rings and human figures. — 04.1Fabrication strategy

Digital sculpture feasibility study, view 2, showing the rings and human figures. — 04.2Fabrication strategy

Digital sculpture feasibility study, view 3, showing the rings and human figures. — 04.3Fabrication strategy

Digital sculpture feasibility study, view 4, showing the rings and human figures. — 04.5Fabrication strategy

Dimensioned drawings of the circular components and their profiles. — 04.6Sequence of production and assembly

05 — 06 / Technical drawingsFabrication · Construction methodology

A technically feasible
& buildable reality.

At this stage, we prepared a comprehensive set of technical drawings and detailed unfoldings containing all the relevant data and information for the individual parts of the sculpture, including fabrication instructions and construction methodology. Translating the digital object into a coordinated set of drawings, instructions, and technical information that communicates the logic of its fabrication and assembly is an architectural and design skill. This is where I, as an architect, contribute through the ability to translate an initial sketch and concept into a technically feasible and buildable reality. This is complemented by other architectural skills, such as spatial understanding, an aesthetic eye, and a realization of human scale.

Exploded digital view separating Luna’s circular components. — 05.3Individual parts of the sculpture

Four detailed views of the sculpture’s circular components and inner profiles. — 05.4Detailed unfoldings

05Fabrication
& assembly

Physical study model of Luna’s rings on a workshop table. — 05.1Individual parts

Another view of the small sculpture study model in the workshop. — 05.2Construction methodology

Technical drawings
& detailed unfoldings.

06.1 — 06.3

Luna fabrication drawing sheet 1, containing dimensions, component profiles and assembly information. — 06.1Technical drawings

Luna fabrication drawing sheet 2, containing dimensions, component profiles and assembly information. — 06.2Technical drawings

Luna fabrication drawing sheet 3, containing dimensions, component profiles and assembly information. — 06.3Technical drawings

07 — 10 / Production and assemblyTechnical development · Advisory capacity

Production
& assembly.

From this point onward, the documentation is transferred to the relevant producers and professional consultants, including the manufacturing facility, structural engineer, and other consultants. They continue the technical development based on these documents. In most cases, alongside the technical 2D drawing package, the digital 3D model is provided in various formats to facilitate the work and ensure a comprehensive understanding of the project among all parties involved. Following this “handover,” I remain involved in an advisory capacity, continuing to support the process and assist whenever needed.