Big bang theory — makes quite an outline against the Manchester sky. © Len Grant
Britain’s tallest public sculpture, B of the Bang, was launched in Manchester on January 12 by Olympic Gold Medallist Linford Christie.
The spectacular sculpture rises 56 feet high (think Nelson’s Column) and is named after Linford’s comment that he’s gone by the ‘B of the Bang’ at the start of a race.
The Olympic Champion officially switched on the lights of the sculpture at Sportcity, East Manchester, on Wednesday evening, dispelling any fears that recent problems would delay the launch. The special day saw an athletics session with Linford for local children, free entertainment, star guests and a firework finale.
Just over a week before the public were allowed to walk directly underneath the £1.42 million artwork, the project team encountered a hitch when one of the huge spikes lost its tip. After a thorough investigation of the welding on all the spikes, the sculpture was pronounced safe and the launch went ahead as planned.
The complex centre. © Len Grant
“B of the Bang is a tremendous addition to Sportcity,” said Councillor Richard Leese, Leader of Manchester City Council. “This unique creation perfectly captures the spirit of the original modern Manchester. It is a fantastic symbol of the regeneration of East Manchester.”
B of the Bang is constructed of 180 tapered steel spikes, emanating from a core 22 metres above ground.
Designed by Thomas Heatherwick Studio and commissioned by New East Manchester Ltd to commemorate the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the sculpture represents a great achievement of engineering. And inclined at an angle of 30 degrees (more than the Leaning Tower of Pisa), anyone walking underneath it should hope that the team behind it are pretty good at what they do!
The mass of spikes has been designed to withstand gusts of wind at more than 100 miles per hour, but the steel used will weather, at varying degrees, creating a multi-hued effect. The spikes are hollow and as light as possible, while the five legs they stand on are solid and heavy and planted in around a 1000 tonnes of reinforced concrete.
B of the Bang by night. © Len Grant
Funding from the European Commission, the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), English Partnerships and Manchester City Council has made the construction possible.
Steven Broomhead, Chief Executive of the NWDA, said: “The 2002 Commonwealth Games symbolised to the country and the world that Manchester and the north-west can deliver and B of the Bang is the perfect iconic symbol for this great success, and will act as a startling visual legacy to the games.”
