A procession of striking 50ft pillars will be installed along one of Newcastle’s busiest streets as part of efforts to turn around a “degraded and cluttered” city centre.
Council bosses are planning to locate 11 “iconic” masts along the length of Northumberland Street, under £50m transformation plans.
The towering sculptures are inspired by the wooden poles that guide people across the causeway to Holy Island and will be decorated with medieval patterns and copper etchings by local artists.
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Standing at up to 15m tall, or 49ft, the masts will act as a public art installation by day and street lights by night – with the pattern adorning the length of the column lighting up and leading to large spotlights at the top.
Newcastle City Council, which has granted itself planning permission for the development, said the project would be an “iconic statement which will help revitalise Newcastle’s main shopping streets”.
Work on the scheme could start as early as this spring, with the pillars running the entirety of Northumberland Street and into the top section of Pilgrim Street.
A council spokesperson said: “Northumberland Street and Pilgrim Street formed part of the route through medieval Britain for Pilgrims and travellers journeying to Lindisfarne, with safe passage across the causeway to Holy Island guided by tall timber poles.
“The sculptural lighting masts are a reference to those timber poles, symbolising safe passage, journey and direction along Northumberland Street, and acting as markers at the junctions of Northumberland Street and its side streets.”
Two masts at the junction of Northumberland Street and Blackett Street would be a few metres shorter than the others, following concerns from the Newcastle Conservation Advisory Panel that they could compete with views of Grey’s Monument.
In its planning application for the lighting masts, the council said that the city centre has suffered from a lack of investment in its public spaces over recent years and has become “degraded and cluttered”.
It adds that Northumberland Street, the city’s primary shopping area, “is typically cluttered and utilitarian, with limited green infrastructure”.
The application stated: “The concept is rooted in historical local context referencing the medieval pilgrims on their journey to Lindisfarne via the ‘Pilgrim’s Path’ to Holy Island.
“A bold visual identity draws inspiration from the graphic masterpiece of the Lindisfarne Gospels, medieval embroidery and craftsmanship.
“Integrated art will add intrigue and personality, encouraging people to stop and spend time in the area.
“The lighting design will transform this space at night, delicate up-lit diamond perforations will be balanced with larger overhead spotlights creating a strong visual identity and sense of place and safety after dark.”
Local authority chiefs unveiled a £50m vision last year to radically redesign the city centre – including removing all traffic from Grey Street and Blackett Street, reconfiguring Old Eldon Square, and installing more greenery and seating.
