The Angel of the North is a monumental sculpture located in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England. Seen by more than 90,000 people every day and 33 million people every year, the sculpture represents what it can mean to transform a space by creating an identity for a region. It’s proof of how such pieces can spur powerful economic developments and worthwhile engagement from a surrounding community.
A Landmark of Gateshead’s Character
The closure of the Lower Tyne Colliery would eventually see the mound near the A1 motorway in Gateshead turned into a greenspace. To take advantage of this space that had a direct connection to the mining culture of the region, the Gateshead Council began an effort to create an ambitious artwork that would become a landmark of the region’s character. It would be immediately recognizable to passengers on the East Coast main line from London to Edinburgh.
The Council worked with sculptor Antony Gormley to create an angel that would be five double-decker buses high. Gormley has talked about how the angel itself has three functions. It serves as a historic reminder of the past, as right below the site coal miners worked in the dark for two hundred years. It’s also designed to represent the transition from the industrial to the information age as well as focus the hopes and fears of the current generation.
At 54m wide and 20m high, the Angel of the North is believed to be the largest angel sculpture in the world. That notoriety has allowed it to become one of the most recognizable pieces of public art ever produced, winning many accolades and awards, despite initial misgivings.
From Opposition to Icon
The Angel of the North can be considered to be an icon that was nearly never built, given the logistical and community challenges that it faced. Some people didn’t like the design, while others felt that the £800,000 it cost should be spent in other ways to support the community. Additionally, the concept for a top-heavy 200-tonne sculpture resting on narrow ankles illustrated the danger that it might fall over.
To ease community concerns, city leaders engaged with residents in various venues to convey the multiple cultural and economic benefits that the Angel could create, which ranged from tourism to licensing. To actually build the piece, steel that was thick enough to take the Angel’s weight and withstand the wind was utilized. A central core was covered with an outer “skin” while strengthening ribs made from the same thick plate as the core were also used. The mound was also filled with “substantial” foundations, twice as heavy below ground than the Angel was above it.
Once the Angel of the North was erected, it didn’t take long for it to be embraced by the community in numerous ways. As an illustration of that community connection, a group of Newcastle United fans used catapults, rubber balls and fishing line to place a massive, custom-made Alan Shearer number nine shirt over the piece.
Businesses like the Angel View Inn exist on account of the notoriety that the Angel of the North has generated. The Inn itself is a converted barn incorporating a bar, restaurant, hotel and conference & banqueting facilities. The Angel of the North is also a central feature in maps and guides of the region while entire tour groups and busses focus their trips around a visit to the sculpture.
In becoming an icon for the region, the Angel of the North has been able to generate interest and activity in a space that would otherwise remain empty and unremarkable. It’s an incredible example of what it can mean for a monument to transform a space and create a whole new legacy for a city and region.
One of the Most Famous Sculptures in the UK
In becoming an icon for Gateshead and all of northern England, the Angel of the North represents how sculptures and monuments can define the transformation of an area as well as redefine the identity of an entire region. Regardless of whether people simply view it from the road or walk up to and pose with the piece itself, the millions of people who interact with Angel of the North on a daily basis exemplify what it means to enable true legacy.
