A new, permanent location has been proposed for a Siemens Gamesa wind turbine blade that was installed in the centre of Hull as part of the city’s UK City of Culture programme.
A planning application has been submitted to locate the 75m blade at the entrance to the Siemens Gamesa site in Hull, UK.
Approval for the plans would mean members of the public will once again be able to see the blade that became one of the highlights of Hull’s continuing year as the UK’s cultural capital.
The blade was one of the first manufactured at the Siemens Gamesa factory at Alexandra Dock in Hull, which opened in December 2016. In January multi-media artist Nayan Kulkarni transformed the 28-tonne structure into a sculpture, “Blade”, installed across Queen Victoria Square in the heart of Hull as one of the highlights of Hull UK City of Culture 2017’s “Made in Hull” opening season.
The blade was transported three and a half miles from the factory under the cover of darkness for the surprise installation – the first time such a huge industrial structure had been manoeuvred into a city centre to be displayed as a temporary work of art.
During the 10 weeks in which it dominated the city centre, the installation was seen by 1.1m people, including more than 420,000 people who interacted with it.
The blade was then returned to Siemens Gamesa’s Hull site while plans were considered for its future use. Now the proposed new location has been revealed.
“We considered various locations on our Hull site for the blade and we have chosen this one because it will ensure it is seen by as many people as possible,” Jason Speedy , Siemens Gamesa’s Hull Blade Factory Director, said.
“It will be clearly visible to all visitors to the factory, partially visible from the A63/Hedon Road which passes the site, and will be positioned just yards from the public right of way which runs around Alexandra Dock, so people using the footpath will see it up close. Having previously been interpreted as an art installation, it is now proposed the blade will be a landmark for the Siemens Gamesa factory and a symbol of Hull as a centre of green energy manufacturing, engineering and innovation.”