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Irwell River Park: So What Are These?
Beacons rise across from the Cathedral
IF you've been wondering they're beacons.
The beacons and the patterns cut into them are designed to give the area 'a distinctive character'. The perforations will be lit internally and the light will then dance with other lights that will shine through nearby fountains.
As part of the transformation of the River Irwell western bank here, Salford city council have installed a couple of stainless steel beacons.
One is 19m, one is 21m and both were designed by Mel Chantry.
The idea is to drag the eye of the passer-by over the parapet from Victoria Street and Manchester Cathedral to the landscaping here.
Then people might stroll down the brand new footbridge to the bit of Irwell River Park that sits on the site of an old bus station.
The beacons and the patterns cut into them are designed to give the area 'a distinctive character'. The perforations will be lit internally and the light will then dance with other lights that will shine through nearby fountains.
This part of the £75m Irwell River Park scheme is due for completion by end of August.
The river park project aims to link and beautify the river banks from MediaCityUK to Salford University and Peel Park. The works carried out by Salford around New Bailey Street and Albert Bridge shows the potential for this fine scheme.
Albert Bridge area - shows the potential for the Irwell River Park
Chantry's beacons
Chantry's beacons
Chantry's beacons
Chantry's beacons
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ManCon, you did an article on this a couple of years ago, did you forget?
www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk/…/Weather-forecast-extra-mist-for-Salford…
"Confidential isn't sure about the beacons at all. They look rubbish so let's hope that they don't get in the way or keep breaking down."
I agree. Personally I think the beacons are superfluous nonsense but I understand why they are there. Maybe once Greengate is developed and people have a reason to walk through to there, these stark contrivances can be taken down.
Anyway who is Mel Chantry and what was his / her thinking behind the design I wonder?
I'm waiting for the whole caboodle to be finished then I'll do a full critique. Fountains I confess worry me very much.
Manchester (oh alright...and Salford) has the worst public art anywhere, along with a total failure to learn from past disasters ("birds nests" outside the "Triangle", B of the Bang etc etc). The last of these was actually quite spectacular, but atill qualified as a disaster.
Oh lord, not another hot mess.
Has no one thought about the safety of the potentially errant parachutist?
They look quite medieval in a way and might not be out of context in the grimm up north fil festival that starts in October at the DanceHouse in Oxford Road; maybe some cult filming might be lined up eventually...
Now, being serious, they do not look too bad but they should be polished up and cleaned when the park is finished as someone has already written the word "polish" in a top corner of one of the two structures...in fact there is a photo of it in this article if you look carefully...
Has anyone mentioned "trees" to go in the square?
Please let us know...
When this was just starting construction almost a year ago...the signage labeled this project as 'greenacre'. Where's the green, Manchester? Please tell me there will be grass...or trees...or shrubs or something and that this isn't just another public space with concrete and steps that don't drain well in the rain.