Rise (sculpture)
Encyclopedia
Rise also called the Balls on the Falls, Belfast Ball and Broadway Junction Art Piece is a concept £400,000 public art
spherical metal sculpture
by Wolfgang Buttress 37.5 metres (123 ft) high and 30 metres (98.4 ft) wide to be constructed early 2011 in the centre of the Broadway roundabout, at the junction of the Westlink and M1 motorway
, a main gateway to the city where 500000 cars a week will flow past it. The sculpture is located within the Blackstaff Ward which is in South Belfast.
Rise is visible for miles around the city. The area is part of a multi-million road improvement programme. It is the biggest public art sculpture in Belfast. Work on Rise was due to begin in August 2009 and end in October 2009, however due to delays the completion date was changed to March 2011. It was finally completed in September 2011, nearly two years behind the original schedule. When completed it became Belfast's largest public artwork.
The sculptor has been encouraged input from local people living near the landmark sculpture. He held creative workshops with groups from the Greater Village and St James' areas of Belfast.
Belfast City Council
lead on the plans for the new sculpture with strong support and funding from the Department for Social Development
(Regeneration Directorate) and the National Lottery
, through the Big Lottery Fund
, through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland
as well as advice and assistance from Department for Regional Development
Roads Service
.
Construction of the piece presented a challenge. It was made by local steel company M Hasson and Sons Ltd in Rasharkin. www.hassons.com
in the 1950s. The outer sphere has a geodesic frequency of 8. It required 1920 tubes to be bolted together. Tensigrity - another concept developed by Buckminster Fuller - is used to hold the inner sphere in position.
, the Republic of Ireland
and internationally.
There was a previous competition and previous winner; however plans for the Trillian by Ed Carpenter
were scrapped amid escalating steel costs, which threatened to raise the price of the sculpture, originally agreed at £400,000, to £600,000.
, the Department for Social Development
and the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland
.
Public art
The term public art properly refers to works of art in any media that have been planned and executed with the specific intention of being sited or staged in the physical public domain, usually outside and accessible to all...
spherical metal sculpture
Sculpture
Sculpture is three-dimensional artwork created by shaping or combining hard materials—typically stone such as marble—or metal, glass, or wood. Softer materials can also be used, such as clay, textiles, plastics, polymers and softer metals...
by Wolfgang Buttress 37.5 metres (123 ft) high and 30 metres (98.4 ft) wide to be constructed early 2011 in the centre of the Broadway roundabout, at the junction of the Westlink and M1 motorway
M1 motorway (Northern Ireland)
The M1 is a motorway in Northern Ireland. It is the longest motorway in Northern Ireland and runs for from Belfast to Dungannon through County Down and County Armagh...
, a main gateway to the city where 500000 cars a week will flow past it. The sculpture is located within the Blackstaff Ward which is in South Belfast.
Rise is visible for miles around the city. The area is part of a multi-million road improvement programme. It is the biggest public art sculpture in Belfast. Work on Rise was due to begin in August 2009 and end in October 2009, however due to delays the completion date was changed to March 2011. It was finally completed in September 2011, nearly two years behind the original schedule. When completed it became Belfast's largest public artwork.
Construction
The globe-shaped, white and silver steel sculpture is a representation of a new sun rising to celebrate a new chapter in the history of Belfast.The sculptor has been encouraged input from local people living near the landmark sculpture. He held creative workshops with groups from the Greater Village and St James' areas of Belfast.
Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council
Belfast City Council is the local authority with responsibility for the city of Belfast, the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. The Council serves an estimated population of , the largest of any district council in Northern Ireland, while also being the fourth smallest by area...
lead on the plans for the new sculpture with strong support and funding from the Department for Social Development
Department for Social Development
The Department for Social Development is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department is the Minister for Social Development.-Aim:...
(Regeneration Directorate) and the National Lottery
National Lottery (United Kingdom)
The National Lottery is the state-franchised national lottery in the United Kingdom and the Isle of Man.It is operated by Camelot Group, to whom the licence was granted in 1994, 2001 and again in 2007. The lottery is regulated by the National Lottery Commission, and was established by the then...
, through the Big Lottery Fund
Big Lottery Fund
The Big Lottery Fund is a grant-making non-departmental public body in the United Kingdom created by the Government to administer the funding of "good causes" following the creation of the National Lottery. It has an annual expenditure of £630 million...
, through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland
Arts Council of Northern Ireland
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is the lead development agency for the arts in Northern Ireland....
as well as advice and assistance from Department for Regional Development
Department for Regional Development
The Department for Regional Development is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive...
Roads Service
Roads Service
Roads Service is the public body responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of highways and roads in Northern Ireland. It is an executive agency of the Department for Regional Development....
.
Construction of the piece presented a challenge. It was made by local steel company M Hasson and Sons Ltd in Rasharkin. www.hassons.com
Structure
The artwork is made of two geodesic spheres supported on slender stanchions. The engineers - Price & Myers - used intensively the work done by Buckminster Fuller Buckminster FullerBuckminster Fuller
Richard Buckminster “Bucky” Fuller was an American systems theorist, author, designer, inventor, futurist and second president of Mensa International, the high IQ society....
in the 1950s. The outer sphere has a geodesic frequency of 8. It required 1920 tubes to be bolted together. Tensigrity - another concept developed by Buckminster Fuller - is used to hold the inner sphere in position.
Competition
Buttress was selected after intense competition from more than 40 artists from the United KingdomUnited Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, the Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
and internationally.
There was a previous competition and previous winner; however plans for the Trillian by Ed Carpenter
Ed Carpenter (artist)
Ed Carpenter is an artist specializing in large-scale public installations ranging from architectural sculpture to infrastructure design. Since 1973 he has completed scores of projects for public, corporate, and ecclesiastical clients...
were scrapped amid escalating steel costs, which threatened to raise the price of the sculpture, originally agreed at £400,000, to £600,000.
Funding
The sculpture was funded by Belfast City CouncilBelfast City Council
Belfast City Council is the local authority with responsibility for the city of Belfast, the capital and largest city of Northern Ireland. The Council serves an estimated population of , the largest of any district council in Northern Ireland, while also being the fourth smallest by area...
, the Department for Social Development
Department for Social Development
The Department for Social Development is a devolved Northern Ireland government department in the Northern Ireland Executive. The minister with overall responsibility for the department is the Minister for Social Development.-Aim:...
and the National Lottery through the Arts Council of Northern Ireland
Arts Council of Northern Ireland
The Arts Council of Northern Ireland is the lead development agency for the arts in Northern Ireland....
.