Mass

'mass' in Wonderlab: The Bramall Gallery at the National Railway Museum

Mass -

‘Mass’ is a large scale permanent artwork within the former wheel drop at the National Railway Museum. A single large orange form rises from the pit of the wheel drop to the ceiling filling the space between the two. Towards the top of the form an explosion appears to erupt spreading out towards the rest of the gallery space. The piece rises above the other exhibits being a vast interruption of colour and form. Towards the lower half of the piece a hole penetrates through it accommodating the bridge over the wheel drop pit. This hole allows visitors to walk through the piece, getting up close to appreciate the sheer scale of the form. Inside the tunnel a transparent panel in the roof allows a clear view up the vast interior. The whole form is a single textile inflatable and inflated with two quiet fans located in the wheel drop pit. As a demonstration of engineering it uses the same principles that steam engines use in their cylinders - that of expansion of gas. The entire form is mostly air under pressure beneath a textile skin, yet stands taller than a house. At 20˚C the artwork contains 100 cubic metres of air with a mass of 122kg.

‘Mass’ is a permanent artwork commissioned by The National Railway Museum (Science Museum Group) for the new interactive ‘Wonderlab: The Bramall Gallery’ - an interactive gallery introducing concepts of mechanics and engineering aimed at 7 - 14 year olds.