Unity is a massive 6 tonnes of granite and tinted blue resin combined, nearly 3.8 metres high, sculpted by Simon Hitchens and resin cast by CMA Moldform. It has been installed at Kings Cross Central (the redeveloped former Goods Yard) in London.
The Sculpture has been manufactured from two materials:
Bon Accord granite from South Africa was drilled and cut at Fyfe Glenrock, Aberdeen and then finished at Simons Somerset studio. Weight 4 tonnes, size 3.25m x 80mm x 35mm thick.
The large mould, some 450kgs in weight, and the tinted polyurethane resin was cast at CMAs new facility in Birmingham, a highly technically challenging single pour cast. Weight 1.6 tonnes. Size 3.75m x 80mm x 35mm thick.
Urbanest commissioned this public piece of artwork through Camden Council for the new site at Kings Cross Central. Simon Hitchens was awarded the contract for the commission in January 2013, which was developed from the initial concept by Simon to the final sculpture Unity.
Peter Turnock of CMA said This unique piece of artwork creating Simon Hitchens depth of design goes beyond the normal boundaries for this sort of sculpture. It combines two very different materials and shows that CMA can produce the artists imagined designs.
Info on the sculptures plaque:
UNITY
A sculpture by Simon Hitchens
Commissioned by Art Contact on behalf of urnabest 2013
The redevelopment of the former Kings Cross Goods Yard, now known as Kings Cross Central, owes much of its appeal to the proud industrial heritage which formed it. This graphic sculpture visually references the heavy engineering used in the areas industrial past, its form suggestive of two large and redundant cogged wheels. The granite element symbolises the robust building materials used in the old Goods Yard, where commodities were moved about by rail and cart. The more technologically challenging blue resin element hints both at
the Regents Canal and the important part it played in the transport of goods, but also the aspirational state of the art future being built at Kings Cross Central.
The simple graphic form of the sculpture can be seen as a stylised letter X, but also articulates the unity between two separate yet co-dependant bodies: a balance of essential opposites and a celebration of progress across the generations.
For futher information please contact:
Peter Turnock
CMA Moldform Limited
Unit 17 Spitfire Road
Spitfire Park
Birmingham B24 9PR
United Kingdom
T +44 (0)121 350 7707 F +44 (0)121 386 5962
[email protected] www.cmamoldform.co.uk