Public Art - Final Proposal By Sam Turner

Concept

My name is Sam Turner and I have a proposal to put forward a piece of Public Art situated at Dale Dyke Reservoir.

Living in the area local to Dale Dyke I know how nice the area around Bradfield and beyond is and attracts a lot of walkers and visitors. However when I recently visited Dale Dyke I felt it was rather isolated and felt rather devoid of much public interest somehow. Given it is an area of such historic importance not only to Sheffield but to England (the site of the biggest man made disaster in England) as well as being a picturesque landscape.

I propose the concept of having a glass “wave” coming over the dam wall and onto the embankment which arcs over allowing people to walk underneath the arc of the wave along the dam wall. This would be primarily to commemorate the Sheffield Flood as I feel at present that it is not sufficiently commemorated by the couple of small stone plinths which are already situated on the site. Secondarily this would be to give the area an identity, many other successful public places have one key view or landmark which identifies them which leads to it being an area of tourism and photography. This would be my goal, to attract more people to Dale Dyke and raise the profile of the Sheffield Flood as many people from outside the local area don’t know anything about it.

With the idea to have it constructed out of glass this allows it to sit in the surrounding environment comfortably without disturbing the area.

It would also create a striking visual when approaching from afar and catching glimpses of it through the trees, as well as when stood right next to it, giving a sense of scale of the event to the viewer as well as letting them imagine the events unfolding before them.

I really believe this could be successful in attracting more people to an area which isn’t as appreciated and celebrated as much as it should as well as bringing a memorable piece of Public Art too Sheffield.

Public Art Proposal Sam Turner

Specification and Costing

Glass Wave Specification:Width approximately 12 metres -Utilising 3 x 4 metre sections

Length approximately 40 metres -Utilising 4 x 10 metre length sections

Depth of glass wave 60 mm

Highest point approximately 5 metresIncorporating 8mm diameter stainless steel supports

Lowest point 1 metreIncorporating 8mm diameter stainless steel supports

Lighting6 spotlights 850 lux - 3 situated at top and 3 situated at bottom

Constructed at location

Panels to be joined with small steel brackets

Construction time approximately 7 daysStart date April/May 2016

Cost:Cost per glass panel £2000 x 12 = £24000

Cost per Spotlight £200 x 6 = £1200

Maintenance

On site maintenance 4 times per annum at a cost of £600 per visit

Total cost per annum £2400

Permanent fixture

Launch date Saturday 14th of May 2016.Local press invited and launched by Mayor of Sheffield and local historian Malcolm Nunn.

Public Art Proposal Sam Turner

Health and Safety

In regards to health and safety I am aware that it maybe seen as something to climb on by certain members of the public given its curved, slide like appearance. To try and counter this I propose to have no climbing signs situated around the site, perhaps one on the pathway to the wave and one next to it too. Perhaps have a fine enforcement policy to anyone who attempts to and or climbs on the wave itself. It may also be advisable to have railings along the length of dam wall to encourage people not to go down onto the embankment however I do not want to discourage people from exploring the area and viewing the sculpture from different angles as it is a place which deserves to be explored and viewed.

Given it will be constructed out of glass I want to also have signs enforcing that nothing should be thrown at the wave either since I feel this could be another potential problem with certain members of the public, especially when the dam has a low level of water and reveals a lot of rocks and other small objects.

However I believe these issues will be negated given its location being out in the countryside and although the idea is to try and attract more people to the area, I don’t believe it will attract the same sort of crowd from town centres for example.

Health and safety in the construction process will also be key considering there will be large, very heavy panels being moved about by heavy duty machinery. Hard hats, high vis jackets, steel cap boots and safety gloves will all be necessary on site. While under construction the site around which it is being placed will also need closing off to the public to ensure their safety. This should not be too much of an issue as the area of construction is not a particularly popular access route and there are also other entry points to Dale Dyke reservoir.

Public Art Proposal Sam Turner

Construction Timeline

Day 1- Area of construction around Dale Dyke gets closed off to the public for the predicted week needed to complete the project

- Machinery needed to lay any foundation work is brought in ready for the first day of construction

Day 2- Work begins on laying the foundation work in preparation for the glass panels and supports arriving

Day 3- Foundation work is completed in the first part of the day

- The supports are laid in preparation for the glass panels to be placed on top and put together

Day 4- The first glass panels are put into place and secured to the supports laids previously

- The first glass panels are also clamped together by the small steel brackets

Day 5- The rest of the glass panels are put into place and secured to respective supports and secured to eachother

Construction would aimed to be started at the start of May 2016 at the latest to allow for some extension to the project deadline if needed for any reason. I also decided to begin construction work after the predicted bad weather of winter to make for a safe working environment, especially given the area and its surroundings making an awkward construction environment at the best of times. This should hopefully minimise any potential problems faced making for a safe and efficient working area.

Shortly after the construction (aimed May 14th 2016) would come the official opening which not only creates a ceremony but would also hopefully generate press coverage/interest which would encourage people to the area to come and look at the “wave” for themselves.

Public Art Proposal Sam Turner

Day 6- The machinery used in the construction process is moved out

- The area surrounding the finished project is now cleaned and tidied in preparation for the first public to come and visit

Day 7- The area surrounding the project construction is re-opened to the public