Dedicated website to document Kelpies construction
September 7 2011
Set to rise within parkland by the Forth & Clyde canal as the set piece for the Helix project, the Kelpies will constitute the largest piece of public artwork in Scotland and will rank as one of the largest equine sculptures in the world.
Budgeted at £49m (the Kelpies will cost £7m to construct) the scheme will also entail planting of 750,000 trees and laying of 34km of paths and cycle tracks.
They had originally been intended to act as boat lifts but will now be used solely as a viewing platform.
Atkins have been tasked with engineering the piece, consisting of a complex mosaic of stainless steel plates, by carrying out detailed modelling based on Scott’s original maquettes.
3 Comments
#2 Posted by The Bairn on 7 Sep 2011 at 14:33 PM
A complete eyesore and blot on the landscape.
Waste of money which would be better used elsewhere etc...such external art has rapidly become the new 'fake tan' of the architectural game. What are the bookies odds on one Kelpie being omitted due to future cost savings?
Waste of money which would be better used elsewhere etc...such external art has rapidly become the new 'fake tan' of the architectural game. What are the bookies odds on one Kelpie being omitted due to future cost savings?
#3 Posted by Brian on 12 Sep 2011 at 14:14 PM
Have to agree, Bairn. It IS the new 'fake tan', but unfortunately councils view such geegaws as a cheap (sic) alternative to sinking in their own money. Originally budgetted at £12 million sponduluks, 5 million quid has been saved by omitting the boat lift, giving the bargain £7 million figure. The cooncil will tell you, "Oh, we're no' paying that! The money is being wasted - I mean invested - by the Lottery Fund." Oh, that's alright then!
If it hadn't been for that fact, I'd've had a fiver each way on the Big Kelpie beating the Wee Kelpie by a short-head. For future cost savings of course.
If it hadn't been for that fact, I'd've had a fiver each way on the Big Kelpie beating the Wee Kelpie by a short-head. For future cost savings of course.
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In all seriousness, I think these are fantastic. Really. They add a nice 'mythology' to the area.