Polished to perfection

Every so often, a project emerges that pushes the boundaries of engineering and design. The Globe at AT&T’s Discovery District in Dallas, Texas, is exactly that.

Back in 2019, Craig Barnshaw of Inductaflex paid a visit to Professional Polishing Services (PPS) with an unusual request: to polish just 250 sq m of 316 2B stainless steel sheet to an UltraMarine finish. On the face of it, the order was modest in volume, but the scope and complexity behind it were anything but.

Inductaflex was leading what would become one of the largest and most technically demanding bending projects in the world. The task was to fabricate massive, twisted aluminium profiles in three dimensions. These would form the skeleton of The Globe, created using a bespoke bending machine designed and built by Inductaflex UK. Hundreds of hours of engineering analysis and development preceded the first successful bend.

The final installation, an interactive, LED-lit structure, now takes pride of place in the heart of AT&T’s Discovery District, a visionary redevelopment of the telecoms giant’s Dallas headquarters. Standing 30 ft tall and clad in the UltraMarine-finished stainless steel, The Globe is not only a landmark but a showcase of precision engineering, advanced metal forming and polished surface finishing.

Precision polishing meets visionary design

PPS Managing Director, Kirsty Davies-Chinnock, visited the site while the structure was being assembled for shipping to the US, inspecting the final finish as it was mounted onto the frame. The polished sheets, in sizes of 3000 x 1500 x 6 mm and 4000 x 1500 x 6 mm, were produced to a high-reflectivity specification, delivering a mirror-like clarity that captures and reflects the architecture surrounding it.

Inside The Globe, visitors are treated to a fully immersive light and sound experience. With 300,000 LED lights integrated into the structure, it blurs the line between sculpture, technology and public space. For the engineers behind the scenes, it represents something even more meaningful: the realisation of a global collaboration between UK innovation and US ambition.

Shaping the future of metalwork

The Discovery District was designed to celebrate the intersection of tech, culture and community. It is a natural home for a structure that exemplifies how far metalworking can be pushed when imagination and capability combine. From Inductaflex’s bespoke machinery to PPS’s immaculate polishing, this was a case where British engineering expertise quite literally shone on the world stage.

The project is a testament not only to technical excellence but also to what is possible when innovation meets craftsmanship. It proves that in our industry, even a 250 sq m order can play a leading role in something spectacular.