Construction

Take a behind the scenes look at ‘The Wave’ being crafted, which will soon become the centrepiece of the wider #RosegarthSquare regeneration project!

Our contractor, M-TEC Architectural Metalwork (https://m-tec.uk.com/) which is part of the WEC Group Ltd (https://www.wec-group.com/index.html) began by translating the original design concept into a free‑flowing sketch. 

From there, the team sourced 264 metres of high‑grade stainless‑steel tubing and refined the design into simple curves and straight sections – helping to reduce waste and work more sustainably.

Before shaping began, every tube was polished to ensure a cleaner, faster final finish. Some sections were joined early in the process to help achieve the larger curves required.

Forming the steel was a careful balance of heat and precision. Each tube was heated to extremely high temperatures, then guided through a forming machine that allowed it to be bent and rotated into the exact shape needed. Rapid cooling afterwards helped strengthen the steel and prevent stress from building up.

Every individual bend was labelled and tracked, with custom‑built frames used to hold the tubes in position during fabrication. Once shaped, each section was cut to size, prepared for joining, and welded in multiple layers to ensure long‑term strength and durability. All welds were then smoothed and polished for a clean, consistent finish.

Because of their size, the full lengths were split into halves for transport. Four large flatbed lorries delivered them to site, where the ends were fixed into concrete bases and the halves were rejoined, welded, and polished once more.

Currently, two compact cranes are lifting the structure into its final position. The last welds are begin completed and then the surfaces will be polished one final time.

We can’t wait to see The Wave fully finished at Rosegarth Square – stay tuned for the big reveal!