Polar Zero

As part of the COP26 Climate Summit, Polar Zero at Glasgow Science Centre opened as an immersive exhibition intended to highlight the immense pressure, we are all under within the Climate Emergency. millimetre worked with ARUP and the artist, Wayne Binitie to fabricate and install two steel columns which display scientific elements of Polar history.

The two centre pieces, revolving around air, ice and water are both black powder coated mild steel columns with external struts and internal lighting. The ‘1765 Air’ column has a cast glass cylinder with a silicone injected centre where a sample of air, over 250 years old is on display. The twin column has openable internal doors which leads to a recyclable washing machine bowl and a Corian ring. A cast acrylic milled lens and tube houses an ice core sample from the Antarctic Peninsula, intended to melt and represent the inevitable crisis of the disappearing polar ice caps.

millimetre and especially those involved in the installation were honoured to be part of such an incredibly poignant scientific display.

Materials

Two mild steel columns

Cast acrylic

Washing machine bowl

Corian

Partners

Wayne Binitie

Royal College of Art

COP26

ARUP

British Antarctic Survey

Glasgow Science Centre

Photography: Peter Webster / Helix Schorkorn