Aspire (sculpture) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Aspire |
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| Artist | Ken Shuttleworth |
| Type | Steel |
| Dimensions | 60 m (200 ft) |
| Location | Nottingham, England |
| Owner | University of Nottingham |
Aspire is a very tall and colorful sculpture located at the University of Nottingham in Nottingham, England. It is made of steel and stands out with its bright red and orange colors. For a while, it was the tallest free-standing public artwork in the United Kingdom. This means it was the tallest piece of art built outdoors that stood on its own, without needing other buildings to support it.
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Discovering Aspire
Aspire is an amazing piece of art. It was designed by Ken Shuttleworth and his team at Make Architects. The sculpture is 60-metre (200 ft) tall. That's about the same height as 15 double-decker buses stacked on top of each other!
How Tall is It?
Aspire is taller than many famous landmarks. For example, it's taller than the Angel of the North sculpture. It's also taller than Nelson's Column in London. Even the famous Statue of Liberty (if you don't count its base) is shorter than Aspire.
How Was It Built?
The sculpture has two main parts. It starts with a strong concrete base that is 8 m (26 ft) high. On top of this base sits the main steel tower, which is 52 m (171 ft) tall.
Aspire is very heavy. It weighs 854 tonnes. That's like the weight of about 140 adult elephants! The project cost £800,000 to build. This money was given by someone who wished to remain anonymous.
From Factory to Campus
The different parts of Aspire were made by a company called Watson Steel Structures Ltd. They built the pieces in Bolton, Greater Manchester. After that, the parts were moved to Widnes, Cheshire. There, another company, Merseyside Coatings Ltd, painted them the bright red and orange colors you see today.
What's in a Name?
The name Aspire was chosen in a special way. The university held a competition to name the sculpture. Both staff and students at the university could suggest names. Aspire was picked as the best name for this impressive artwork.
Images for kids
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Aspire towers above all other buildings in the area
