The Möbius arch
History was made on August 15th 2004 at the annual Scottish Festival in Fergus Ontario Canada. Members of the Dry Stone Walling Across Canada successfully attempted constructing the first Möbius arch sheepfold out of 20 tonnes of mica schist stone donated by Eisen Natural Stone..
I presented the idea of 'twisting' an arch as it connects two ends of a curved dry stone wall sheepfold in 2003 as a challenge to dry stone wallers in N.A. Scotland and England, to see if
it really could be done. The completed wall loop, with free-standing twisted arch, becomes a sort of mobius dry stone strip with essentially only one surface which continues around the wall, appearing to change sides every time it does a circuit of the loop.
The main sheepfold, complete with stiles, was assembled on the Saturday Aug 14th and the Möbius arch part of the project was built the next day.
Twisting the shape of the wall as it went over the arch, took a lot of right brain activity and considerable dexterity. Our form was made of wet sand piled up on a raised platform and 'sculpted' into the twisted shape we wanted to achieve over the opening.
We had a pretty exciting time doing this project and lots of thinking hands and twisted minds worked together to make it happen. Sadly, the arch had to be taken down after the festival.
Dean McClellan Mike Patten, Bob Waller, Claus, and Joel Dick made an unimaginable shape take a tangible form. We are still looking forward to seeing a permanent arch like this being done here in Canada or some other part of the world as methods of constructing it get more refined.
it really could be done. The completed wall loop, with free-standing twisted arch, becomes a sort of mobius dry stone strip with essentially only one surface which continues around the wall, appearing to change sides every time it does a circuit of the loop.
The main sheepfold, complete with stiles, was assembled on the Saturday Aug 14th and the Möbius arch part of the project was built the next day.
Twisting the shape of the wall as it went over the arch, took a lot of right brain activity and considerable dexterity. Our form was made of wet sand piled up on a raised platform and 'sculpted' into the twisted shape we wanted to achieve over the opening.
We had a pretty exciting time doing this project and lots of thinking hands and twisted minds worked together to make it happen. Sadly, the arch had to be taken down after the festival.
Dean McClellan Mike Patten, Bob Waller, Claus, and Joel Dick made an unimaginable shape take a tangible form. We are still looking forward to seeing a permanent arch like this being done here in Canada or some other part of the world as methods of constructing it get more refined.
