Reach for the stars
Monumental change for city site
REACH FOR the Stars, the final and most monumental work by British sculptor Kenneth Armitage, has been craned into its new home at Edinburgh Park. It is the first of a collection of notable artworks that will turn the area into a new cultural destination for Scotland’s capital. Several more sculptures will be delivered in the coming months as part of developer Parabola’s arts strategy for the area. Edinburgh Park will also host one of the outdoor arenas for major performances at this year’s Edinburgh Festival.
Yorkshire-born Kenneth Armitage (1916 – 2002) is recognised as a pioneer of modern sculpture and is known for his large semiabstract works characterised by movement. He was awarded with a CBE in 1969 and elected Senior RA in 1994. In 1952 he followed fellow Yorkshire artist Henry Moore by earning an international reputation at the Venice Biennale, exhibiting in 1952 alongside other young sculptors representing Britain. In 1958 he won the Biennale prize for a sculptor under 45. Reach for the Stars (2001) portrays a hand shaped like a star supported on an arm that is both human and architectural.
Parabola’s innovative new Edinburgh Park Southern Phase masterplan is one of the
UK’s biggest zero carbon mixed-use property developments. The sculpture by Armitage is one of a series of cultural initiatives intended to create a new arts quarter out of the £500 million development which includes Mach1, a new arts and exhibition centre designed by
Scottish sculptor and installation artist David Mach, RA, as well as offices for 10,000 workers in addition to the some 12,000 already on the park.
As well as commercial buildings, there will be 1,800 private residential, Build-toRent