'Celestial alignment' sculptures to be installed
The "eye holes" of one of the sculptures have been set to align with Procyon - the eighth-brightest star
- Published
Huge sculptures which "echo the celestial alignments" of the night sky will be installed as part of a development of up to 1,000 new homes.
Developer Persimmon Homes was obliged to present a project for a public art installation as part of the West Warminster Urban Extension (WWUE) scheme in Wiltshire.
Wiltshire Council has granted planning permission for the two huge leaf sculptures to be placed on either side of the site, reports the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
One will be rendered in knapped flint to pay homage to the flintstone embedded across the local landscape and the nearby Cley Hill landmark.
A computer generated image showing what the two installations will look like
Under proposals for urban extension on the western outskirts of the town, 1,000 new homes, schools, and children's play areas will also be built.
The first installation, to be located near the Victoria Road Junction, will be a four- metre (13ft) tall stone megalith carved in the shape of an oak leaf with two round eye holes.
According to artist Simon Periton, it will be positioned so that Cley Hill and potentially the setting of Procyon - the eighth-brightest star - will be visible through the holes.
Procyon lies 11.4 light-years from Earth, and appears in the night sky as a bright yellow-white subgiant.
One of the sculptures will be a four-metre (13ft) tall stone megalith carved in the shape of an oak leaf
The second, flint clad installation will be located near the site's eastern connection with Bath Road.
The application states: "It is argued that the two installations would help unite and create a sense of place and book end the WWUE site as gateway sculptures.
"Ultimately, the two sculptures should complement one another, both visually and materially.
"The alignment between them across the site encouraging visitors to navigate the site and echoing the celestial alignments that occur in the night sky."
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