Test Valley Borough Council has agreed the design for an innovative public work of art for Andover Business Park.
The work reflects the area’s history as the former home of RAF Andover. It will be paid for using contributions from Goodman, which is the company responsible for developing the business park.
Standing at 13 metres at its highest point, the strong silhouettes in the sculpture celebrate some of the aircraft that once soared above Andover. The main framework for the piece forms an exact segment of a sphere or a globe, making reference to flight navigation.
The installation, designed by renowned artist Chris Brammall, will be sited at the entrance to the business park, opposite the Chalk Hill Blue pub. The piece will be beautifully engineered using galvanised steel and aluminium.
Chris proposes to work with the local community to develop an information panel for the piece, and consult on certain aspects of the design. He will also produce a dedicated blog, which will provide a constant flow of information and updates on the progress of the sculpture. The project will start at the end of March and be installed and unveiled in September 2014.
Councillor Tony Ward, Portfolio Holder for Community and Leisure, said: “We wanted to see a design that truly reflected the history of the area and the theme of flight and navigation. And Chris’s design does exactly that. I look forward to seeing the installation in all its glory later this year.”
A commissioning panel comprising Test Valley borough councillors, Goodman developers, council officers and external arts professionals conducted a vigorous shortlisting process to arrive at their final decision. More than 69 artists from around the world submitted initial designs for the installation before the panel whittled down the bids to six finalists.
Councillors approved the preferred design at a Cabinet meeting at the end of February and agreed for the artist to commence work.