Bishop's Castle Business Park Sculpture Brief

Deadline: 1st September 2022

Overview

Shropshire Council and Property Service Group (PSG) in collaboration with funding from European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) have engaged SJ Roberts construction to install 8 new business units in Bishops Castle.

The new business park is located on Brampton Road in Bishops Castle SY9 5BX and construction began at the end of June 2021. The project is currently progressing well on site and PSG have secured the finances to include a new permanent fixed sculpture into the scheme.

We have invited Bishops Castle Town Council to assist with the sculpture project and engage with the surrounding community to approach any local business or artists that would be interested in putting forward an art installation proposal that would be fabricated and erected as a permanent feature within the business park. The budget for this art installation has been set at £15,000 –  £30, 000.

The Brief

The sculpture can be of any size or shape however we suggest that to keep in scale with the business park we suggest the sculpture should sit in a footprint of 1.5 mt x 1.5 mt by approximately 2 mt high. Please remember these are simply a provisional guideline and you have liberty to adjust these as you see fit.

Longevity and maintenance are key considerations when considering the nature of the material to be used. So please ensure that the material will be durable and not be prone to degradation through weathering or time. In addition, the sculpture needs to accessible to clean with a pressure wash and water – so all elements need to be cleaned down without water ingress creating further issues over time.

Health and safety with consideration regarding children or adolescents climbing onto the object needs to be accounted for. Although we will actively be discouraging individuals from climbing on to the art piece the sculpture will need to take the load of a human without suffering damage or injuring parties. Similarly, any sharp angles or edges are discouraged that may cut or act as a hand hold to pull oneself up onto the object. Other consideration could be implemented such as raising the object onto a post so that access to climb the object is very difficult.

Core Material

We would recommend an environmentally sensitive material is used where practical.

Mounting Plinth.

Consideration to the mounting plinth also needs to be included in your proposal. This could simply be a concrete plinth that is set into the ground or decorated.

The Theme

The theme of the art piece is completely open to ideas and concepts however we would like a theme or concept that is connected to Bishops Castle and the values that it embodies in some fashion. Bishops Castle is a market town and has a rich heritage and retains historical interest. It is known for its colourful streets, murals painted on the walls and eclectic mix of alternative residential housing where alternative design has been proactively nurtured.

Please find a series of photographs at the end of this document showing some images around Bishops Castle Town.

‘The March of the Elephants ‘ Artworks trail is a walk around the town inspired by the architype of the Elephant and would seem like a sensible place to start for inspiration.

To quote from the Town council information board

‘The elephant is rooted in the history of Bishops Castle dating back to the days of Clive of India with his emblem of the Indian Elephant. During WW2 several circuses moved their animals here to avoid air raids. Elephants were housed in the stables that stretch across the back of The Castle Hotel car park. The last remaining stone stable is now known as the elephant gatehouse.

The proposal

All interested parties wishing to submit a proposal will need to put together the following items for consideration

  • Detailed explanation of the concept in full
  • Detailed method of construction and materials to be used
  • Supporting sketches and design concepts showing dimensions and design of the structural frame
  • Details of how the sculpture is to be mounted and supported from base and how the sculpture will be installed.
  • Time frame of how long the sculpture will take to construct
  • Detailed breakdown of the construction and installation cost of the sculpture – please note this must be between £15,000 – £30,000 or less.
  • Any further supporting material to support your case, i.e. previous sculpture installations etc. Concept designs in 3D software, the more detail you can provide the better.

 

Assessment Criteria and Final Decision

The Sculpture will be rated on 7 different criteria. The seven categories include, visual design aesthetic, overall cost, durability over time, anti-climb and low injury risk, overall engineering, mounting system / plinth and finally the theme relevance to Bishops Castle. Each of the categories will be scored on a 5-point system – ranging from 5 points for excellent to 1 point for unsuitable.

The scores will then be tallied up and the winning design will be appointed.

Deadline and Installation commitments

  • The deadline for all proposal applications is 1st September 2022 – earlier submission welcome- extension of time will be considered – if required.
  • Final decision will be reached by 1st October 2022
  • Design and Construction time for sculpture is 4 months
  • Sculpture to be fabricated off site and ready for installation from early Feb 2023.
  • Payment terms for funding to be agreed with SJ Roberts in advance of sculpture fabrication. They will simply work to the same payment terms as our other contractors.

All submissions to be sent by readable file format in email to invest@shropshire.gov.uk