Angel of the North

Angel of the North is a modern sculpture created by Antony Gormley, which was erected in Gateshead, England.

As the name suggests, it is a steel sculpture of an angel, standing 20 metres (66 feet) tall, with wings 54 metres (178 feet) — making it wider than the Statue of Liberty is tall. The wings themselves are not flat, but are angled 3.5 degrees forward, which Gormley has been quoted as saying was to create "a sense of embrace". It stands on a hill overlooking the A1 road into Tyneside and the East Coast Main Line rail route.

Construction

Work began on the project in 1994, the total cost coming to £1m. Most of the project funding was provided by the National Lottery.

Due to its exposed location, the sculpture has to withstand winds of over 100mph (160 km/h). Thus, 150 tonnes (165 tons) of concrete were used to create foundations which anchor the sculpture to rock 20 metres below.

The sculpture itself was created offsite in three parts, with the body weighing 100 tonnes, and two wings weighing 50 tonnes (55 tons) each, then brought to its site by road. It took seven hours for the body to be transported from its construction site in Hartlepool, County Durham, up the A19 to the site.

Construction work on the Angel was finished in February 1998. Angel of the North aroused some controversy locally and in the British newspapers when first erected, but has now come to be considered as a landmark for the North East of England.