My last assignment at ATC was to design the inflatable part and the cladding of JR's artwork on the Pont Neuf, then to oversee its installation by the crews during the build on the bridge.
For my part, the project began with 3D modelling based on JR's drawings, to give volume to his vision of the mountain and the cave. It then had to be fitted onto a 3D scan of the Pont Neuf, so that the work would hug the structure perfectly and the intended illusion would work.
Once the 3D model had been approved by the artist and his teams, I could move on to the construction drawings. Made 99% of textile, the work was above all a pattern-making job, completed by assembly drawings for the workshop. I then drew the outer and inner cladding fabrics of the cave, passed on to the JR studio teams so they could create their textures.
Before the bridge, a prototype was set up in a hangar to test the volume, the cladding and the lighting, and to make the final adjustments.
The work is based on ten modules placed one behind the other. This division made it possible to install the continuous blower motors outside, in the alcoves on each side of the bridge: noise was kept as far as possible from visitors, and fire safety requirements were met.
The independence of the modules also made installation much easier, and allowed better control of the work throughout its run.
The most ambitious project I have had the chance to work on, made possible by the collaboration of people from different fields, all extremely passionate and skilled.