Angel of the North

The Angel of the North (English: Angel of the North ) is a modern sculpture created by Antony Gormley outside of Gateshead in England.

It is in the rust-colored steel sculpture by an angel who is reminiscent of the industrial past of the North of England. The construction reaches a height of 20 meters and a wingspan of 54 meters. For the Angel of the North is wider than the Statue of Liberty is high. The wings are not straight but bent 3.5 ° to indicate a hug, as Gormley put it. The Angel of the North stands on a hill overlooking the A1 and A167 towards Tyneside and the East Coast Main Line railway.

Construction

1994 began work on the project, whose total cost amounted to £ 1 million. Most of the cost was borne by the British National Lottery.

The angel has to endure because of his position unprotected wind speeds of up to 160 km / hr. To this end, from 165 tonnes of concrete foundations were poured, anchor the sculpture depth of 20 meters.

The Angel of the North was made in three parts. The hull ( with 110 tonnes ) and the two wings ( with 55 tons ) were transported by road to the installation site. Just for the transportation of the body from the place of manufacture Hartlepool ( County Durham ) were needed seven hours.

On 16 February 1998 the construction was completed. The Angel of the North caused a controversy in the regional and national UK press. Today, he is widely endorsed as a landmark of the North East of England.

Gallery

Frontal view of the Angel of the North

Angel of the North in the evening