Artwork unveiled at Darlington business park
ART and industry have come together at a Tees Valley business park.
The first image in a new two-year arts scheme at Lingfield Point in Darlington is now in place.
Futurescope will feature eight massive circular photographs and images over the coming years displayed on the eastern elevation of the Powerhouse, which faces the transport corridor and the Darlington ring road.
The first image - of giant sun flowers - is 45 feet in diameter and clearly visible to a wide cross section of Darlington’s residents and visitors at the new gateway to the town.
The project is part of an ambitious arts and culture strategy being developed as the site continues to develop.
Marchday is part way through transforming Lingfield Point and believes combining culture with commerce will help take the scheme to the next level.
More than 250,000sq ft of property has already been converted from being part of Europe’s largest wool mill into multi-purpose business accommodation at the site.
The developer’s latest £100m plans to create up to 1,200 homes and a workplace for thousands of employees are due to go before planners next month.
John Orchard, director of Marchday, said: “We’ve always tried to weave art into each phase of development and each building at Lingfield Point.”
A whole raft of other initiatives are planned for Lingfield Point including an outdoor performance space, landscaped gardens, artists’ studios and even allotments.
In a separate project, an artwork was also recently installed outside the site’s Memphis building, which is home to the Student Loans Company.
Sixty Three Tickle Me - which is a bingo call expression - was produced by Glasgow-based artists Graven Images and provides a striking backdrop to the new offices.
In the pop-art tradition the colourful and eye-catching work, measuring 70m in length, brings colour and fun to an otherwise bland elevation.
