RETAIL : SIGNAGE : METALWORK
Planet Beauty
A 3-metre metal globe for Brown Thomas Dundrum.
Caroline Brown, Head of Store Projects at Brown Thomas, approached 3:rock to help design and build the centrepiece for Planet Beauty, the new beauty hall in the Brown Thomas store at Dundrum Town Centre. The brief: a large metal globe complete with continents, and suspended illuminated signage circling beneath it.
THE CHALLENGE
Under 100kg, built in two halves.
This would be one of our most creative and testing projects to date. We were asked to design a 3-metre diameter Earth globe, complete with continents and made entirely from metal, that needed to come in under 100kg.
It also had to be built in two parts so it could be transported and installed on site. A high degree of coordination with the contractor, T&I Fitouts, made sure everything on site matched the size, shape and mounting plates of the globe exactly — there was no margin for error.
TECHNICAL DESIGN
Drawn before a single cut.
Our technical design team developed the globe through a full set of technical drawings. Following two revisions the planet was finalised at 2,700mm diameter, hanging clear of the ceiling bulkhead with the underside of the globe 2,600mm above the shop floor.
The illuminated sign ring was set at 4,100mm diameter, clear of shoppers yet centred on the globe.
THE GLOBE
Two hemispheres, one sphere.
Each hemisphere was framed in aluminium, with flat bar forming the lines of latitude and longitude and plate reinforcements at the key joints.
Two identical halves were made, fitting together to create the full globe. The continents were cut from aluminium sheet and fixed to the frame, with lighting built inside the sphere.
THE SIGNAGE
A ring of illuminated letters.
Below the globe, the Planet Beauty name reads around a 4,050mm diameter ring suspended on steel cable.
The letters are stainless steel with illuminated opal faces, each 200mm high, so the name reads from every side of the beauty hall.
WORKING TOGETHER
Made by hand, in-house.
This was a fantastic team effort from our Technical Design team, Operations and our metal craftsmen, resolving every problem along the way through the fabrication process.
The globe was built entirely by hand by our craftsman Paul O’Rowe over three weeks. Handcrafted from aluminium, it is 100% recyclable, in keeping with the sustainability ethos of Brown Thomas. All of the fabrication processes and illumination requirements were coordinated by Darren Bligh, our Operations Manager.
THE RESULT
Centre stage in Dundrum.
The finished globe has taken centre stage in the Brown Thomas Dundrum store. It tested every facet of our creative and manufacturing capabilities, and the result is one we are extremely proud of.
