The Arcturus Adventure
Mark Dion & Scientific Art Studio
PortMiami, Terminal B
-
Research
-
Mock-ups
-
3D Modeling & Renderings
-
Fabrication Drawings
-
3D Printing Objects
-
Milling the Ribs
Acclaimed Artist Mark Dion and Creative Director of Scientific Art Studio Ron Holthuysen teamed up to create a 21-foot sculpture of the Arcturus. The Arcturus was a cargo steamship that was converted into a
research laboratory for marine exploration in 1925. It was fully equipped for deep-sea scientific research and headed by celebrity explorer William Beebe.
Source: Scientific Art Studio - The Arcturus Adventure
Field Research
Field trip to the Maritime Museum and Hyde Street Pier in San Francisco to learn about 1920s shipbuilding techniques. Observing the structure, sailing equipment, on-board machinery, and components used during that era.
Internal Structure Development
Collaborating with structural engineer to develop the internal structure of the Arcturus model.
Form Development
Milling a scale model of the Arcturus ship and studying its form using historical photos for accuracy.
Preliminary Mock-up
Fabricated mock-ups (including a 1:10 scale and a 1:20 scale mock-up) for volume study. After the scale was determined (1:13.3), ribs were added to form the vessel’s hull.
Mock-up at Scale
Selecting materials for flexibility & durability and using traditional boat building methods to construct hull sections.
3D Model Development
Using people and objects next to the ship elements to assist in closely approximating sizes and distance. Creating the entire set of 3D models for the Arcturus project based solely on my research, as little documentation exists for the actual ship.
3D Details
Finished Details