This month marks the 20th anniversary of the iconic Angel of the North. It is hard to remember a time when Sir Anthony Gormley's iconic statue wasn't there to greet visitors to Gateshead as they travel through the North East! As we can see it from our office here in Birtley, we thought we'd pay our own tribute to this wonderful sculpture.
How did it begin?
The Angel is located on an historic mining site. Starting in the 1500s and continuing up until the 1960s, coal was mined in the area. A modern baths complex was built on the surface in the late 30s but the site was reclaimed in 1989.
In July 1990, Gateshead Council's Art in Public Places Panel decided, in principle, to designate the site for a future landmark sculpture. After a shortlist of artists was drawn up in 1993, Anthony Gormley was finally selected by the panel and design proposals began.
What happened next?
It wasn't exactly plain sailing for the Angel of the North, with public opposition and planning permission being major barriers to the now iconic sculpture, as well as an engineering headache caused by the design and the location.
Of course, with many large planning projects, opposition tends to be widespread. In this case, there were several valid concerns about accidents occurring on the A1. The Highways Agency had a particular concern about drivers being distracted by the sculpture, increasing the likelihood of potentially fatal accidents.
As such, the proposed position of the Angel changed. It was going to be facing Gateshead but there was a fear that drivers may try to look sideways to see the front view of the sculpture and its impressive wingspan. Instead, the final position saw the Angel facing oncoming traffic so drivers could clearly see it.
Others were concerned that the giant steel structure would affect their television reception, spoil views (which isn't a material planning consideration), attract lightening strikes and tempt vandals.
After careful consideration of all of the details and representations, the Planning Committee provisionally agreed, in October 1994, planning permission as long as more design details were submitted alongside a TV aerial reception appraisal.
Finally, in February 1995 planning permission was granted, and three years later the Angel of the North arrived in Gateshead to become one of the most recognisable sculptures in Britain.
The rest, as they say....
....is history. 20 years later, the Angel of the North is still standing strong, and Highways England has acknowledged that "statement structures" like the Angel could actually help reduce accidents by keeping drivers alert to their surroundings.
So, a very happy 20th birthday to an icon that might never have been.
