The Widnes Future Flower was designed by architects Tonkin Liu through an international competition funded by the North West Development Agency. The Widnes Future Flower is part of the ongoing Widnes Waterfront Regeneration Programme, which involves the regeneration of over 200 acres of former industrial land on the banks of the River Mersey into a modern business park environment and associated leisure facilities.
The Widnes Future Flower has 120 metallic petals that will flutter in the wind and will be illuminated by 60 low power LEDs in various shades of red, with their intensity varying depending on the wind’s strength and direction.
Work on site lasted a total of five weeks, with the art installation erected by specialist fabricator Mike Smith Studios in three days, with supervision from main contractor, Cheetham Hill Construction. UNIC Cranes Europe was consulted on the job, and carried out a site survey. It provided the URW 706 spider crane, along with a qualified CPCS crane operator, to erect the structure.
“It’s exactly the kind of niche application that we are proving ourselves to be experts in, time and time again,” said Graeme Riley, chief executive officer of GGR. “On top of that, the end product looks great; a fantastic modern work of art.”
