'Gripple World' Model
Scale: Mixed scale, primarily 1:200
Client: Gripple
Welcome to Gripple World!
Early in 2025 I was contacted by Gripple, a leading manufacturer and innovator of wire joining and tensioning devices, anchoring, bracing, and suspension systems, to design and make a model for their unit at the new Skills Street facility at Gulliver's Kingdom, Rotherham. Skills Street is a hands-on world-of-work experience that brings children, young people, and adults closer to real careers through 15 interactive sector zones designed with employers and educators.
The purpose of the model is to showcase the various industries and applications in which Gripple products are used. These include high rise buildings, fencing, vineyards, solar farms, soil erosion control, railways and sports stadiums. The challenge was to create a model that could show all these in a fun and recognisable way, whilst also tying together somewhat realistically despite mismatching scales. Added to this is a representation of the Old West Gun Works in Sheffield - Gripple HQ, the only element of the scale model to exist in reality. The model base is approximately 1.5m in diameter, which helped to establish 1:200 as the 'foundation' scale from which there was creative licence to incorporate other scale elements where appropriate.
Once installed, a couple of additional elements were added to enhance the model and to further illustrate the Gripple story. In the foreground of the model, 2 oversized figures represent Hugh Facey, founder of Gripple, and a typical sheep farmer - this is a playful recreation of the initial meeting that sparked Hugh's idea for the first Gripple product.
Also added is a 'Hollywood' style sign on the hills of the model. This is to signify that Gripple has sold over 1 billion of it's products worldwide.
