17.09.19
Doncaster station to celebrate engineering, speed and connectivity through art
Rail users are in for a treat as plans for public art at Doncaster train station are revealed. The art will be a key part of the station’s transformation and will celebrate engineering, speed and connectivity.
The impressive plans include 47 monoliths, some representing Doncaster’s role in the age of travel and speed, with others depicting original engineers’ drawings and illustrations of the A3 and A4 locomotives designed by Sir Nigel Gresley, chief mechanical engineer of the Great Northern Railway in 1911.The artistic engines will be drawn to scale, giving passers-by a real glimpse into the size and scale of the impressive trains.
Within the piece, Doncaster will boast it’s proud heritage by highlighting 28 of the locomotives named after St Leger winners. Using 15mm raised steel plate to highlight the names, the cast industrial theme runs throughout. The imposing monoliths will stand at 3.7 metres in height and celebrate the craft, engineering and workmanship involved in building these machines in the Doncaster plant.
In addition to the steel giants, there will be three impressive water walls and a water fountain, providing an atmospheric ambience to support the new public space. These will be clad with granite to represent coal.
The £7.5m redevelopment of the train station forecourt was devised by Doncaster Council but benefitted from Sheffield City Region funding. The scheme will be carried out in partnership with London North Eastern Railway (LNER) and the South Yorkshire Passenger Transport Executive (SYPTE).
Seven, striking red monoliths will punctuate the robust, steel backdrop. These glossy enamel finishes will mirror the sleek style of the original A4 locomotive. Doncaster green and Garter blue will feature on the Flying Scotsman and the Mallard depiction, proving that every stylistic choice has been carefully considered to best reflect the area’s influence on this industry and recognize the ingenuity that took place in Doncaster.
Ros Jones, mayor of Doncaster, hopes to make an impression on people arriving in Doncaster and anticipates a boost to the local area: “This public art reflects our history and our future and will be a real statement piece when people arrive in Doncaster by train. It celebrates our rich rail and horse racing heritage which are still important for the town today and will be in the future.
“The station forecourt redevelopment will create a superb new gateway into our town centre giving the right impression to visitors and potential investors. It is just one of the many schemes we are delivering from our ambitious Urban Centre Masterplan which are helping deliver jobs and growth for our borough.”