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Aspire

Aspire is a work of art on the Jubilee Campus of the University of Nottingham in Nottingham, England. It is a tall red and orange steel sculpture that was, until overtaken by Anish Kapoor’s Orbit, the tallest free-standing public work of art in the United Kingdom. Aspire is taller than B of the Bang, Nelson’s Column, the Angel of the North, and the Statue of Liberty excluding its pedestal. Its name was chosen through a competition open to staff and students at the university.

Aspire sculpture rising above the University of Nottingham Innovation Park, with modern buildings on either side.
Aspire, the tall sculpture at the University of Nottingham Innovation Park, stands against a clear blue sky.
August 2009 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Aspire, a tall red sculpture, rises above a modern curved white building against a partly cloudy blue sky.
Aspire rises behind a modern building on the Nottingham University Jubilee Campus.
December 2008 © · CC BY-SA 2.0
Aspire, a tall red lattice steel sculpture, rises beside a partially frozen lake.
Aspire stands beside the frozen lake on Jubilee Campus.
December 2012 © · CC BY-SA 3.0
Aspire sculpture silhouetted against a bright, partly cloudy sky near modern campus buildings.
Aspire stands silhouetted against the evening sky beside modern campus buildings.
© · CC BY-SA 3.0
Aspire, a tall red sculpture of interwoven beams rising above the campus buildings and trees.
Aspire rises above the University Park campus skyline on a hazy day.
December 2012 © · CC BY-SA 3.0

Identification

TitleAspire
Typesculpture / public artwork

Historical context

Date erected2008
Size referenceIts size was chosen in reference to the 50 feet in Nottingham's royal charter granting university status in 2008

Creator

DesignerKen Shuttleworth and Make Architects

Discovery and provenance

Name selectionThe name Aspire was chosen through a competition open to University of Nottingham staff and students
FundingPaid for by an anonymous benefactor
Cost£800,000
Fabricated byWatson Steel Structures Ltd
Fabrication locationBolton, Greater Manchester
Transported toWidnes, Cheshire
Coating applied byMerseyside Coatings Ltd
Fabrication duration23 weeks

Physical characteristics

Top shapeTruncated at the top in an ellipse inclined 60° relative to the horizontal
Components8-metre concrete pillar and 52-metre steel structure
Height60 metres
StructureNetwork of steel tubes forming a hyperboloid section with ten horizontal circles connected by slanted rods
FormTall mast mounted on a cylindrical concrete pedestal
Weight854 tonnes

Materials

MaterialsConcrete, cement, and steel
SurfacePainted steel

Appearance

ColorsRed and orange
LightingIlluminated at night
InspirationInspired by traditional Nottingham lace patterns

Location and ownership

LocationJubilee Campus, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, England

Significance

Former distinctionFormerly the tallest free-standing public work of art in the United Kingdom until surpassed by Orbit by Anish Kapoor in 2012
Relative size at time of erectionTaller than B of the Bang, Nelson's Column, the Angel of the North, and the Statue of Liberty excluding its pedestal