Angel of the North
- sophiejanedantas
- Jan 18, 2018
- 2 min read
The largest angel sculpture in the world - The Angel of the North.
The angel was designed by a sculptor named Antony Gormley and construction of his designs began in 1994, eventually being completed 4 years later, in 1998.
Not only is the sculpture one of the most famous artworks in the region, it is one of the most viewed pieces of art in the world. Due to the location, it is seen by more than one person every second, 90,000 every day or 33 million every year.
It weighs a staggering 200 tonnes (the body 100 tonnes and the wings 50 tonnes each) and currently stands at 20 metres in height with a wing-span of 54 metres.
The sculpture can withstand winds of more than 100 miles per hour and is made of weather resistant Cor-ten steel, containing a small amount of copper.
The total cost of The Angel of the North was a whopping £800,000 (GBP).
The outdoor sculpture is situated in the English town of Gateshead (Durham Rd, Low Eighton, Gateshead NE9 7TY) and is completely free to visit including parking. There is 30 car parking spaces on site.
Fun Fact: There is unique species of daffodil named the Angel of the North due to its orange, rusty colouring.
"People are always asking, why an angel? The only response I can give is that no-one has ever seen one and we need to keep imagining them. The angel has three functions - firstly a historic one to remind us that below this site coal miners worked in the dark for two hundred years, secondly to grasp hold of the future, expressing our transition from the industrial to the information age, and lastly to be a focus for our hopes and fears - a sculpture is an evolving thing." - Antony Gormley.
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