Title: Aspire
Description: Aspire is a work of art, constructed on the Jubilee Campus of the University of Nottingham, in Nottingham, England. It is a 60-metre tall, red and orange steel sculpture, and was, until overtaken by Anish Kapoor's Orbit, the tallest free standing public work of art in the United Kingdom, taller than B of the Bang; Nelson's Column, the Angel of the North and (excluding the pedestal) the Statue of Liberty. Designed by Ken Shuttleworth and MAKE Architects, it comprises an 8m high concrete foundation and 52m high red and orange steel tower. The sculpture weighs 854 tonnes, and cost £800,000, which was donated by an anonymous benefactor. The name Aspire was chosen after a competition to name the sculpture, which was open to staff and students at the university. The structure was fabricated by Watson Steel Structures Ltd in Bolton, Greater Manchester, and was then transported to Widnes, Cheshire, where Merseyside Coatings Ltd applied the distinctive red and orange colour scheme.
Author(s): Ken Shuttleworth