Silica
The Project Brief (by Working pArts)
Introduction
North Somerset Council (NSC), in collaboration with South West of England Development Agency (SWERDA) wish to commission an artist/design team to design and implement a major new Free Standing Sculptural Canopy for the Space described as Big Lamp Corner in the centre of Weston super Mare.The commission will entail developing a concept proposal, designing its setting, and then working up the detailed design and, subject to Client agreement and Planning Consent, implementing or overseeing implementation of the work on site.
Download the entire Project Brief as an Adobe Acrobat document, 133KB.
The Design Statement (by Wolfgang and Heron)
Background and Context
Silica forms part of the Civic Pride initiative for Weston-super-Mare. It is the first of a small number of key priority arts initiatives identified within the public art strategy, one of six complementary studies commissioned by North Somerset Council (NSC) to inform ‘Connecting Spaces, Places and People’ (CSPP) the strategic urban design framework for the regeneration of Weston-super-Mare town centre and seafront.
The subsequent public realm improvement programme, the Weston Civic Pride Initiative (WCPI) aims to enhance a number of priority streets and open spaces as part of a co-ordinated strategy to attract significant inward investment and regeneration. The work sits within a broader framework that is being developed for the town as part of a much wider visioning exercise to give direction to the economic regeneration of Weston over the next twenty years.
The work at Big Lamp Corner is the first of 11 major public realm improvements. The first phase of the project, undertaken in 2004, included infrastructure changes to accommodate public transport, and to significantly upgrade paving, lighting, and seating. The resultant public space was identified within CSPP as a pivotal location for public art, lighting and pedestrian information. In order to achieve these aspirations a Phase 2 brief was developed for an artist-led design team to address all three aspects through the creation of an iconic and functional sculpture.
Download the entire Silica Design Statement as an Adobe Acrobat document, 1.32MB.
