Louis Chevrolet Honored With a Sculpture in Switzerland

“Chevrolet is known as one of the most iconic American car brands around the world. The man who established it more than 100 years ago spent the first years of his life here in La Chaux-de-Fonds. We are proud to pay tribute to our Swiss roots and our links with Louis Chevrolet’s birthplace by handing over this unique work of art to the city of La Chaux-de-Fonds,” Sedran said.

The unveiling and hand-over was attended by representatives of the city’s government and Chevrolet as well as residents living around Parc de l’Ouest, where the sculpture was erected a few days ago.

Featuring a shiny metal surface that is as smooth as glass, the Louis Chevrolet sculpture was cast and welded over the course of twelve months in a specialized foundry in the Taiwanese capital of Taipei.

"The Louis Chevrolet sculpture is the most important public artwork I have created so far. Given the scope and complexity of the project, I realized that I had to think out of the box and create a team of highly skilled people: 3D experts, engineers, founders, welders, polishers and so on. And it worked," Christian Gonzenbach said.

The exterior of the 8-ton sculpture is made up of 71 sheets of high-grade stainless steel. Inside, a framework consisting of metal rods and beams provides structural stability. The bottom section of the rods also acts as fixation points and is anchored in the sculpture's foundation.

The sculpture rests on a 28 cm high pedestal made of black-coloured concrete. Its fixation points extend through the base to the foundation, securing the artwork safely to the ground.

Credits: Oneshift News Team