Possibilities of Using CAD Products and Parametric Design in Sculpture / Project “Torch of Knowledge” /
Parametric design, structural logic and technological realisation.
spatial work
torch of knowledge
2015
public symbolic sculpture
permanent installation
Rectorate · TU–Sofia
Torch of Knowledge was created in 2015 to mark the 70th anniversary of the Technical University of Sofia. It is the first collaborative work by Emilia Ochkova-Dimitrova and Assoc. Prof. Eng. Georgi Chervendinev, initiated by Prof. Hristo Nikolov Vasilev. The sculpture is permanently installed in front of the Rectorate entrance.
Its seventy metal ribs correspond to the seventy years of the university’s history. Their progressive rotation and ascent transform the accumulation of knowledge into spatial movement—from the foundation towards light, from acquired experience towards the next possibility.
Parametric design connects the symbolic concept with structural and manufacturing logic. The ribs are made of laser-cut stainless sheet steel and joined into a welded supporting structure. The flame is a hollow body assembled from bonded acrylic panels and illuminated by LEDs.
- authors
- Emilia Ochkova-Dimitrova · Assoc. Prof. Eng. Georgi Chervendinev
- initiative and technical realisation support
- Prof. Hristo Nikolov Vasilev
- created for
- 70 years of the Technical University of Sofia
sculpture and environment
Light, rhythm and vertical movement
parametric logic
Seventy planes — seventy years
The movement of each successive rib is defined through interrelated parameters. The vertical ascent signifies the accumulation of new knowledge, while the movement towards the common axis represents its assimilation within a shared structure of knowledge. The gaps between the ribs admit light and the surrounding environment into the form, changing its perception as the viewer moves.
installation
From horizontal structure to vertical sign
Fabrication and installation were completed within a short timeframe by combining CAD design, laser cutting, welding and manual assembly. The documentary photographs reveal the underlying structural logic that the completed vertical form transforms into a light, upward-moving sign.
authors
A first collaborative work
The collaboration brings artistic form-giving and engineering design together in a single spatial system. It marked the beginning of subsequent creative and educational projects by the two authors.
anniversary ceremony
Presentation of certificates
Official ceremony marking the 70th anniversary of the Technical University of Sofia, 2015. Rector Prof. Georgi Mihov presents certificates to the authors, Assistant Emilia Ochkova-Dimitrova and Assoc. Prof. Georgi Chervendinev.
research context
Two complementary readings
The project was examined in two 2015 publications with different emphases. The first follows parametric CAD design and technical realisation; the second focuses on the symbolic image, the public environment and the artistic context. The original author order of each publication has been preserved.
Symbolic Sculpture / 70 Years of TU–Sofia /
Symbolic image, artistic context and integration into the public environment.