Clear success for glass artwork grant at new Durham leisure centre

Thursday 11 September 2008

A striking glass artwork has become the focus of Durham’s new multi-million pound leisure complex with the help of a £30,000 grant from a local developer.

The Banks Group provided the grant to help fund the creation of two glass installations at the new £12.3m Freeman’s Quay Leisure Centre in Durham City which depict the fossilised remains of plants which were found in the north east up to 350 million years ago.

Local artist Gavin Marshall was chosen to create the pieces, the pre-historic theme of which matches the design of the whole building, which spirals outwards in the same shape as an ammonite.

The fossilised images are shown on a curved glass screen which separates the Centre’s small pool from its main pool, and on an external curtain wall which runs alongside the main pool, meaning that the artwork has a functional role as well as an artistic one.

Energy efficient lighting is being used to light the work, and an educational element has been incorporated into the display so that schoolchildren and other visitors to the pool can learn about the fossils and prehistoric plants of the north east.

Regular displays of work by local artists, schools and Durham University students will also be mounted in the complex as part of the Banks Grant, which came from the Banks Community Fund and which was given as ‘match funding’ to a contribution from Durham City Council.

Cllr Sue Pitts, Portfolio holder for Culture and Leisure at Durham City Council, says: “We wanted to make the visual impact of the new centre a cut above the rest, and the glass artworks that have been installed certainly achieve that goal.

“The installations make the centre a very attractive place for local people to visit, a fact which contributes to both its sustainability and the health and well-being of local people.

“They also contribute to the educational aspect of our work, through helping to forge new links with schools and the University, and provide a highly-valuable platform for the work of local artists.

“The support we received from Banks helped us to realise an ambitious plan, and will make art much more accessible to a lot of people who wouldn’t normally choose to visit an art gallery or exhibition.”

Mark Dowdall, environment and community director at The Banks Group, adds: "This is a landmark project for County Durham, so to have the opportunity to support such a highly visible and innovative part of it is a real honour for us.

“The designs add a great deal to the overall appeal of what is a fantastic new facility, and we hope the many thousands of people using Freeman’s Quay every week enjoy them.”

Last updated: Thursday 11 September 2008, 14:35 PM