COOLING THE TOWERS

COOLING THE TOWERS

This is the story of our Big Art Project. The best idea that Sheffield ever had.

Once upon a time, there were two old Cooling Towers on the edge of Sheffield. Unused and abandoned. Famous and loved across the North of England.

We wanted to turn them into new symbols for Sheffield, into spaces for amazing public art. Landmarks for the city we loved: part of its heavy, ugly history, turned into something futuristic, creative, beautiful. Tate Moderns for the North.

What started as just a Good Idea soon spiralled out of control. It turned into a huge campaign. We won a place on the Big Art Project on Channel 4, got some famous faces to support us, and got the whole city thinking: what if?

We nearly made it, too.

But the owners of the towers, Eon, didn't want it to happen. And the City Council, bless them, didn't dare. They wanted something easier, something a bit less challenging. Maybe something made out of steel. You know, the usual.

The cooling towers were demolished in August 2008.

The Big Art Project will be broadcast in May 2009.

For the full story, click here (or just read this ace article in the Guardian).

The Cooling Towers are dead. Long live the Cooling Towers.

Picture, as ever, by the wonderful Andy Brown.