Solar Gate, Hull – form through function

The Solar Gate sculpture is one of a number of Arup-led interventions in Hull made possible through the city being awarded the title of UK City of Culture for 2017. The ethereal structure’s fabrication made use of local industry, allowing Hull’s industrial heritage and knowledge to reinvent itself to produce cutting-edge, contemporary art. This paper summarises the innovative design process that was followed by the team, testing methods in parametric design and evolutionary optimisation to take a design concept and refine it into an optimised structure. It describes how digital methods of working were used to facilitate a fast and efficient design dialogue between engineer and architect, leading to a design where the inherent beauty results from its engineering efficiency.