This article delves into the story of the B of the Bang sculpture, a controversial landmark that stood in Manchester for four years before its dismantling. From its initial conception as a symbol of the 2002 Commonwealth Games to its eventual demise due to structural issues, the B of the Bang remains a topic of debate and fascination for many. The article explores the public's mixed reactions to the sculpture, the technical challenges it faced, and the legal battles that ensued.
This month marks the 20th anniversary since one of Manchester's most controversial landmark s in recent times was officially unveiled. Dubbed one of Manchester's most questionable creations, the city's now lost B of the Bang sculpture is fondly remembered by many. Despite costing £1.72m, large spikes fell off the sculpture while it was still standing, yet many queried why it could never be saved. Over the years, Manchester Evening News readers have spoken of their love of the landmark.
Comments such as 'Great', 'Groundbreaking', 'Brilliant', 'Beautiful', 'Wish they could bring it back', and 'awesome...shame it was scrapped' have been among the tributes paid by readers. However, the tale of the B of the Bang is infamous. Created to mark the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the B of The Bang stood as a 56-metre-high beacon of 180 steel spikes; at one point, it was the UK's tallest sculpture. Situated beside the Etihad Stadium and symbolising a bold new era for our rejuvenating city, the project faced challenges from its inception. It was plagued by delays, and then, just six weeks before its scheduled unveiling in 2005, one of its lethal-looking spikes fell off. Months later, a second spike was discovered hanging loose. The sculpture was fixed and officially unveiled by former Olympian Linford Christie on January 12, 2005. Yet further spikes had to be removed. By 2009, the sculpture had been dismantled, and the designer, Thomas Heatherwick, had forked out £1.7m to the council in an out-of-court settlement, the Manchester Evening News previously reported Heatherwick was asked to create the sculpture in his Sheffield studio in 2003 after winning a design competition. The brief was to embody the 'explosion of passion and energy' of the games, inspired by sprinter Linford Christie's words that he didn't start his races at the bang of the starting pistol but at the B of the Bang. Heatherwick's challenge was to create a landmark that would sit alongside working-class housing, industrial buildings, vacant brownfield, and a large Asda and catch the eye of passing motorists and match-day crowds. 'The centre of our structure was an exceedingly complex node, where 180 tubes, of all different sizes, came together with an irregular geometry', is how Thomas Heatherwick explained the process. 'The construction of this core became an extraordinary work of craftsmanship', he continued. 'The welding was built up in stages, until the core eventually contained 11 tonnes of welding material alone.' It all sounded incredibly impressive. So why did the spikes fall off? Heatherwick himself has remained silent on this. Previously, he had said that the out-of-court settlement terms prevented him from going into too much detail. The M.E.N has previously contacted Heatherwick, but no comment was made on the sculpture's ill-fated ending. The studio's website still showcases the B of the Bang sculpture. Still, it only adds: 'The studio was devastated when the project developed a technical problem and was taken down in 2009, four years after its completion, by Manchester Council.' At the time, the council's city centre spokesman, Pat Karney, didn't mince his words. 'I was really sad that the artist, a very serious artist, couldn't pull the engineering off', he stated. 'I loved every bit of it. It really excited people. I used to stare at it. It was absolutely fantastic. People came from all over to see it. 'When we heard about the problems with it, a minority of people jumped on the bandwagon and wanted to slag it off. 'It's art. It's experimental. It was a creative and imaginative way to capture the games. It captured a moment in time in Manchester's history. It could have been a major tourist attraction. 'It was a shame it didn't work out. Most people at the time really loved it. But bits of it started falling off, it was close to the road. We couldn't take any risks with it'. So why couldn't the sculpture be repaired? Initial testing of the spikes identified weld defects with the sculpture, which triggered cracking as it vibrated in every breeze blowing through Beswick, Clayton, Ancoats and Bradford. Weights were fitted to the tips to stop the spikes from vibrating violently, but the problems persisted; the sculpture's spikes, despite having undergone wind testing, just weren't strong enough. Heavier steel was suggested as a fix, but this would have meant smaller spikes, which a 2009 council report deemed 'unacceptable on aesthetic grounds' – and it would have added £3.5m to the cost. The artist's alternative was to swap the steel spikes for carbon/glass fibre composite ones, designed to reduce wind vibration, at a potential cost of up to £3m. The council's lawsuit against Thomas Heatherwick Studios resulted in a £1.7m settlement in 2008, with around £700k covering spike removals and legal fee
B Of The Bang Manchester Sculpture Thomas Heatherwick Commonwealth Games Engineering Failure Public Art Controversial Landmark
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