Located in downtown Wrocław in western Poland, NAWA is a futuristic architectural sculpture by Polish architect Oskar Zięta that reflects, both literally and figuratively, its historic surroundings.
The lightweight steel elements that make up the parametrically designed sculpture are made in a unique method called FiDU, a metal-inflating process created by Zieta during his PhD studies in ETH Zurich.
The sculptural pavilion is designed with the revitalization of Wroclaw’s Dailowa Island in mind, “returning it to the dwellers of Wroclaw.” The sculpture, along with an additional 7500 new plants to be planted on the island will create “a consistent organic unity, emerging naturally from the river.” — Oskar Zieta
FiDU has three main steps: metal elements are lasercut forming a 2D template, their edges are welded together and finally compressed air is pumped through the object, inflating it into its final 3D form. The result? A lightweight, durable metal component that is also stable through the compressed air expanding it. Metal objects made using FiDU can be used as a piece of furniture to an architectural element in construction. Zieta describes the possibilities of FiDU extending beyond the architecture and design realm, stating the car industry or even applications in space as examples of FiDU’s potential.
