Magnificent Metal - The Sky is the Limit
Civil Architectural Design with MEDUSA4
“MEDUSA allows us to productively, flexibly and creatively turn the dreams and visions of architects into reality, successfully designing structures that capture the public’s imagination. Sheet Metal Design (SMD) is invaluable on such projects as the Paris tourist boats, where we used it to unfold the sheet metal used for the boat hull. It also enables us to easily design and develop pipe joints for fabrication.”
(Christian Muscat, Head of the MEDUSA Design Group)
Based in the beautiful Vosges area of the Lorraine region, Viry S.A. France, which recently celebrated its 40th birthday, is the country’s leading light in architectural sheet metal construction. The company’s assignments are as grand and imposing as the mountains that surround its headquarters – France’s most renowned architects partner with Viry to work on prestigious public and private projects, which place the creative teams firmly at the forefront of modern aesthetic design.
Reaching for the Sky
Like the peaks of the Vosges, many of Viry’s most memorable and compelling constructs reach out to the sky. Its engineers create the transcendental from the mundane, applying firm engineering and manufacturing principles to everyday materials to ensure that an architect’s brain child can soar.
Viry has left its mark on almost all aspects of French business and cultural life, here and abroad. From the Centre Culturel Jean-Marie Tjibaou in New Caledonia, dedicated to the cultural development of the Kanak indigenous people, to futuristic buildings and bridges in Paris’ La Défense business district, and the commemorative Tour de la Liberté in the Tuileries Gardens, erected in 1989 for the French Revolution’s Bicentenary, the company has turned the visions of famous architects into reality.
“We regularly work with such famous architects as Paul Andreu, Claude Vasconi Dominique Perrault, and Marc Mimram”, says company founder and president Bernard Viry. “They come to us because they know we specialise in complex metal structure and love the extraordinary.”
A History of Success
Founded in 1966 at EPINAL (Voges), VIRY started out with ten employees. Forty years on, the company can look back on an impressive success story, and forward to more exciting opportunities in an expanding Europe. Today its 80 staff members work in the headquarters in the Vosges, its glass department in Paris, and a Chinese office.
Viry’s customers number in the hundreds and include Aéroport de PARIS, les Bateaux Parisiens, and EDF. Like CAD Schroer, Viry has built its success on long-term customer relationships: 50% of its contracts are repeat business. Most of its assignments are large, public sector projects, where Viry is commissioned to validate the designs of famous architects, then begin the process of metal design and construction.
Viry handles around one or two big projects a year. From the first architect’s drawing imported into MEDUSA, to the pop of champagne corks at the opening ceremony, a typical assignment takes somewhere between one and two years to complete, and involves a team of at least three staff members, made up of a MEDUSA Design Manager, one Structural Engineer and a MEDUSA Project Engineer.
Aesthetics, Creativity, Quality and the Right Software
VIRY’s leading values of aesthetics, creativity and quality have remained unchanged over the years. Always at the cutting-edge, and willing to explore the very boundaries of what is technically possible, Viry’s means, as well as its ends, are dedicated to the high-tech, in an R&D environment where, as they say, “the exceptional becomes the everyday”.
For projects of this magnitude, efficiency, flexibility and communication are key. So from the earliest days of computer aided design, Viry had to choose a system that supported its business values and aided its competitiveness. “I first heard of MEDUSA in 1985”, says Bernard Viry. “and we started using it at Viry in 1986.”
“The Project Engineer, Denis Fischer, was a real CAD pioneer when he used MEDUSA for the liberty towers. We were looking for a system which would enable us to realise grand projects in 3D, and 20 years later we remain convinced that the software is a great match for our line of work.”
“Currently we have three users with a long history of using 2D and 3D from every angle,” says Christian Muscat, Head of the MEDUSA design group.
Viry has three licenses of the MEDUSA drafting system, augmented by three licenses of MEDUSA 3D with mass properties and shading, as well as MEDUSA Sheet.
Terminal 2F – Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle Airport – A Feat of Modern Engineering
One of Viry’s many impressive feats in creative metal construction is terminal 2F at Roissy-Charles-de-Gaulle Airport. The project of architect Paul Andreu, it was commissioned by ADP in October 1993.
Two MEDUSA designers worked on this project: one created all the variable-length roof timbers using 2D, while his colleague designed the central ridge in 3D. MEDUSA 3D ensures design integrity by enabling engineers to do a visual check of the design from all angles and perspectives.
Onwards and Upwards – MEDUSA4 is Keeping Pace
Viry and CAD Schroer France – A Match Made in Heaven
“The relationship between CAD Schroer France and Viry is very good”, says Christian Muscat.
“We have been a MEDUSA customer for about 20 years now. That probably speaks for itself. We know that we can count on CAD Schroer when we have specific problems or need advice, and we are sure to get a quick answer. “
Lasting customer relationships built on technical excellence, engineering know-how and personal service stand at the forefront of CAD Schroer’s success. Providing real value for maintenance money is a top priority, and product improvements and innovations a way of life.
“MEDUSA allows us to productively, flexibly and creatively turn the dreams and visions of architects into reality, successfully designing structures that capture the public’s imagination”, adds Mr. Muscat. It’s metal, not stone…but what a way for this MEDUSA to be immortalised!
