The final designs for a striking new public art piece in Sheffield have officially been revealed, and production is now underway.
Sculptor Coralie Turpin was chosen by the Sheffield Housing Company (SHC) to create the artwork for its new Beckett Hill (Malthouses) development in the Parson Cross area of the city. Working from her studio at Yorkshire Artspace’s Persistence Works, Coralie connected with local schools and residents to gather personal stories and histories from the area to help shape the project.
Titled ‘Milestone – Compass’, the cast-iron sculpture is inspired by the historic roadside milestones found leading into Sheffield and the concept of personal milestones in life. Local schoolchildren even carved their own ideas into arrow shapes, which will be integrated directly into the final piece. From a distance, the finished sculpture will resemble a star, while the intricate, community-driven details will become clear up close. It is scheduled for installation next to a residential boundary at Beckett Hill later this year and will be fully visible from the public highway.
This marks the fifth major public art project delivered to the city by SHC – a joint venture development company between Sheffield City Council, Keepmoat, and Great Places Housing Group. Since launching in 2011, the partnership has delivered over 1,700 new homes across 17 sites, revitalising key neighbourhoods like Parson Cross and Manor, while generating over £110 million in wider social value for the region.
Steve Birch, Development Director with SHC, said:
“SHC is committed to delivering meaningful public art as part of its housing projects, as a way to create attractive spaces, provide interest for the local community, and express local identity and character. It has been a pleasure working with Coralie… I’m certain this will create an inspiring installation that local people can connect with and enjoy.”
Sculptor Coralie Turpin, who has been creating public art for 30 years and recently collaborated with Turner Prize-winner Jeremy Deller in Scarborough, added:
“The idea behind the work is around milestones… This sparked the idea for the title of the work ‘Milestone – Compass’ and how from one place, everyone has the potential to grow, shine and branch out – like the points on a compass that help navigate the way.”
