A towering project: the viewpoint-sundial at Creussans
SOCOTEC was involved in the design and construction of the viewpoint-sundial at Creussans in Ordino, Andorra.
Today, Monday 5 July, marked the inauguration of the viewpoint-sundial perched on the peak of Peyreguils, at an altitude of 2700 metres, in Ordino Arcalís in the Principality of Andorra. The project, commissioned by SECNOA and carried out by the architecture firm Toni Riberaygua, turned to SOCOTEC for its structural engineering needs in both the planning and construction phases.
The selected architecture firm took advantage of the construction of the sundial to add on a panoramic, open-air viewpoint, circling the sundial for a full 360° and suspended from the structure that houses the gnomon. From a structural standpoint, the design was based on a bicycle wheel, which highlights how light the ensemble is and gives visitors the feeling of floating above an incomparable natural landscape.
Beyond the typical challenges associated with creating a structure using this concept, this specific project was also especially complex due to the materials having to be brought in by helicopter, and the construction process therefore had to be taken into account in the general design.
